Beijing A to B - Roads and Freeways

About a day ago, four new main roads opened up in south Beijing; here’s a run-through:

• Beijingxizhan South Road (Beijing West Railway Station South Road; 北京西站南路): This 6-lane (3 per direction) road links Beijing West Railway Station via Guang’an Road with Lize Road, spanning 2.5 km. Lize Road is a semi-city expressway liaising from the western 2nd Ring Road west to the western 3rd Ring Road. Driving times from Beijing West to Lize Road have been cut from 30 minutes down to 5 minutes.

• Guangcai Road (光彩路): Guangcai Road now does a full link-up (1.5 km in length) from Zhaogongkou Bridge on the southern 3rd Ring Road all the way south to Dahongmen East Bridge on the eastern 4th Ring Road. The Guangcai Gymnasium is probably the most immediate beneficiary, now lying on a full through road. We knew that the Guangcai Gymnasium’s got to be a beneficiary — they’ve got the China Open there!

• Zhangyicun Road (张仪村路): Zhangyicun Road now joins Wujiacun Road together with the Jingshi Freeway, going for 3.8 km in all. Connections further north link the road to the Lianshi East Road city expressway. The road lies just east of the western 4th Ring Road.

• Kangxin Road (Phase 1) (康辛路一期): This totally new stretch of road, 2.6 km in length, starts from Yushuzhuang Road West and ends at Fufeng Bridge on the western 4th Ring Road. This road’s a big link-up kind of guy: no less than 20 other roads will link up with Kangxin Road.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, road openings
Sources: Local
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Who This Is For: People on the Western 5th Ring Road

A few more updates to go around:

• An accident has occurred on Bajiao Bridge (八角桥) on the Western 5th Ring Road (西五环). The accident has been dealt with, but the shocks are still there: cars are still piled up as far north as Jinyuan Bridge (晋元桥). This affects southbound traffic only. The accident has been there for nearly 20 — 25 minutes now.

• Much of Beijing is in downpour mode, once again. Slow traffic and lines are expected. Even if your road isn’t clogged up, make sure to drive slowly: braking takes longer than you think in rain. (Banging into other drivers makes a miserable day already far worse!)

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, Road Briefings
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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Who This Is For: People on Chongwenmen E St, N 5th Ring, as well as other locations

Here are a few updates this morning:

• Chongwenmen East Street (崇文门东大街) is slow westbound due to pileups near the Beijing Railway Station. Reroute using Chang’an Avenue (长安街) and the Guang’anmen-Guangqumen road complex (两广大街).

• Marking of the Olympic Through Lane has begun on the 5th Ring Road: work is to take place 24 hours a day. As a result, marking has already begun on the stretch westbound between Yangshan Bridge (仰山桥) and Shangqing East Bridge (上清东桥); traffic is slow in this stretch of the road.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, Road Briefings
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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Who This Is For: People travelling on the mountainous part of National Highway 110 (north of the crossing with the Ming Tombs; restricted to those on the old highway)

Traffic flow on the Badaling Freeway heading out of Beijing might get a bit more — squashy (ie crowded) — this being a consequence of bridge repairs on the old National Highway 110 from July 5 through July 25, 2008. Traffic will have to reroute via the freeway during this time.

Roadworks and bridge repairs will seal Douling Bridge 1 and Douling Bridge 2 on the old National Highway 110 from July 5 through July 25, 2008.

Incoming vehicles to Beijing will need to reroute using either the Badaling Freeway (passenger cars and buses) or the new National Highway 110 (part of the Jingbao Freeway), opened late 2007 (trucks only). Vehicles leaving Beijing (all vehicles) will need to reroute using the Badaling Freeway.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, access limits, National Highway 110
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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Who This Is For: People in and around Shuangyu Roundabout and Mayu

The 6th Ring Road is being built, and as a result, Guangning Road (广宁路) will be impacted. The section affected is the stretch of Guangning Road just east of Shuangyu Roundabout (双峪环岛) in Mentougou District; this is the border bit between Shijingshan and Mentougou, between Shuangyu Roundabout and Mayu Crossing (麻峪路口). Cars will not be allowed to access this stretch in any direction from 00:00 through to 05:00 every day from June 29, 2008 through to July 5, 2008.

Reroutes are available. Use Binhe Road (滨河路) and cross the bridge at Sanjiadian Jam (水闸公路桥); then continue along Shimen Road (石门路).

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, access limits, Shuangyu Road
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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Who This Is For: Anyone who has a Beijing-plate vehicle with a yellow eco label or a non-Beijing plate vehicle

Beginning midnight on July 1, 2008 and through to 24:00 on September 20, 2008:

If you have a vehicle plate with a Beijing license, and have affixed a yellow eco label (most cars have a green eco label instead), you are not allowed to drive on any roads within Beijing municipality. The same applies for vehicles with a test license or vehicles not from Beijing, except for passenger vehicles and passenger buses.

If you have a passenger vehicle or bus from outside Beijing, you need to fit in with National Emission Standard II (those not running on petrol need must comply to Standard III). Do not drive on the 5th Ring Road or enter areas within the ringway from 06:00 through to 24:00.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, access limits, 5th Ring Road
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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Who This Is For: Drivers + Airport South Freeway Users + ETC Cars

If you’re using ETC and are accessing the Airport South Freeway (机场南线), please take note of the following:

If you’re using the Airport South Freeway, you’ll be charged CNY 10 if you go through any toll gate. This charge will either be individually charged if you access Terminal 3 via the original Airport Freeway, or be charged in conjunction with another toll if you access the freeway via Huanggang (黄港收费站) or Wugezhuang (吴各庄收费站) toll gates.

This very toll will incur a zero charge if you enter the airport area (particularly Terminal 3). What happens is that at the entrance toll gate, you’ll be charged for the freeway(s) you’re about to leave (or have travelled through) and be charged CNY 10 for the Airport South Freeway.

If you arrive at the airport (through let’s say Terminal 3’s toll gate), you’ll usually be charged an extra CNY 10. However, this time, you’ll be charged nothing. That’s right — the electronics in the ETC system did their bit: when you went through the toll gates at Huanggang or Wugezhuang, two operations took place. First, you were charged outstanding tolls for freeways you’ve used; second, the machine actually set a “pass through token” on your machine, unbeknownst to you. When you arrive at a toll gate in front of a terminal building, the ETC machine will read your in-car terminal, find and retrieve the token, and let you through — the token itself is worth CNY 10 (nope, you can’t claim this; and nope, we don’t want you hacking your ETC device!). You won’t be charged, and off you go into the airport.

They never called the system an “Intelligent Transport System” for nothing, it seems!

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, Airport South Freeway, ETC
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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If you’re heading to Wangjing, this might be of note to you. Ever travelled on the side road next to the start of the Jingcheng Freeway? This recent mod could change things on your end.

Effective June 24, 2008, the eastern side road next to the Jingcheng Freeway (京承高速公路东辅路) from Wanghe Bridge (望和桥) through to Huguang Middle Street (湖光中街) will become one-way only (northbound traffic only).

This is quite big a change, by the way. The Wangjing West Subway Line 13 station (地铁望京西站) lies on this side road. You’ll no longer be able to drive south to reach the subway station.

No further official details were provided, but the very move in itself could be a cue to that huge bridge (Exit 2 on the Jingcheng Freeway) finally being put into use.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, Wangjing, access limits
Sources: Local with reference to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
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For all Olympians-to-be in the Chinese capital, a note that due to decorative works to get underway soon, part of the central district in the Olympic Green will be immobilized — as in be out of bounds for cars beginning 06:00 on June 28, 2008 until 24:00 on July 19, 2008:

1. For Kehui Road (科荟路), the stretch from Lincui Crossing (林萃路口) through to Aolin East Road South Crossing (奥林东路南口) will be off limits to all cars and pedestrians except authorized vehicles. The limits do not apply at both crossings; they affect merely the stretch of road between the two crossings. Reroute using Datun Road (大屯路).

2. Cars and pedestrians may not access the stretch of road from Aolin West Bridge (奥林西桥) to Aolin West Road (奥林西路), as well as Aolin West Road and Beichen West Road (北辰西路) through to Yundongyuancun Road East Crossing (运动员村路东口). The bridge and all access ramps will be closed for good; authorized vehicles may enter via the southern side road to the 5th Ring Road. Limits do not apply at Yundongcun Road East Crossing. Reroute using Anli Road (安立路) or Lincui Road (林萃路).

3. Parking is prohibited in the tunnel on Datun Road (大屯路). Additionally, bikes and pedestrians are not admitted into the tunnel stretch of the road. No bus stops will be available in the tunnel stretch.

Technorati Tags: Beijingology, Beijing transit, Olympic Green, road closures
Sources: Local with reference to the

Ever wanted to get to somewhere — fast? Interested in Beijing’s infrastructure?

Welcome to Beijing A to B — a topic-specific blog on Beijing’s infrastructure. Updated regularly, the blog is of great use to those living in Beijing who want to get from A to B, but don’t want to deal with difficult-to-use maps or Chinese characters (or who aren’t fluent in Chinese).

Beijing A to B will start off with the Roads and Expressways system, as well as the Subway system. In early July 2008, a Chinese-language version will be launched as a summary page.

Behind Beijing A to B is the Beijingology network, relying upon data from the Beijingology wiki.

We hope to be welcoming you to our blogs on a regular basis!