Beijing's investment in infrastructure construction is expected to reach 220 billion yuan (US$27.16 billion) during the Tenth Five-Year?Guideline period (2001-2005), according to the municipal development and reform committee.

The figure is about 60 percent more than that for the previous five-year period which ended in 2000.

During the past five years, two major track lines were built and opened to traffic, extending the total length of Beijing's track lines to 114 kilometers.

Currently, five other track lines, with a total length of 115 kilometers, are under construction and are expected to open to traffic in two to three years.

A group of highways including the Fourth, Fifth Ring roads and the first phase project of the Sixth Ring road were completed and opened to traffic during this period, linking eight new towns in suburban Beijing with the downtown area.

According to the Beijing Municipal Transportation Bureau, Beijing built 1,100 kilometers of highways in the past five years, bringing the total length of highways in operation to 14,700 kilometers in the city.

Beijing also made progress in construction of natural gas transmission and power supply facilities. Consumption of natural gas and power accounted for 54.4 percent of Beijing's total energy resources consumption in 2004, and the ratio is expected to reach 57 percent last year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)