The entire Fourth Ring Road in Beijing opened to traffic on Saturday after three years of construction.
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The 65.3-kilometre road, the capital's longest transportation artery, is expected to alleviate the capital's traffic congestion and help Beijing in its bid for the 2008 Olympics. The road, which connects almost all the proposed Olympic sites, is dubbed "Olympic Avenue."
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"The construction of the Fourth Ring Road is an important part of the Olympic bid. Its opening to traffic shows Beijing's ability to fulfil its promises," said Wang Guangtao, vice-mayor of the municipal government, at the opening ceremony held on Saturday.
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The road, connecting the Asian Games Village, Zhongguancun, Fengtai Hi-Tech Zone and Beijing Economic Development Area, is also expected to help boost the municipal economy.
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It is estimated that the expressway will save a total of 45.1 billion yuan (US$5.5 billion) by reducing traffic congestion and related costs.
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Along most part of eight-lane expressway are 100-metre green belts, which cover an area of 163 hectares, 10 times the area of the Summer Palace. The road is designed for speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour.
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The expressway cost 7.3 billion yuan (US$881 million), about 5 billion (US$600 million) of which was bank loans.

(BOBICO 06/11/2001)