National stadium under construction

   (BEIJING, March 28) -- Construction on the Olympic venues has progressed smoothly with 20 of the 31 Beijing-based venues for the 2008 Olympic Games under construction, officials said here today.

   Construction started last year on five related auxiliary facilities and one training venue is now under construction, according to Beijing "2008" Project Construction Headquarters Office.

   Renovation will be launched this year on eight existing venues, a temporary one and 18 training venues, the office's chief economic engineer Wang zhiyuan told a press conference.

   Of the 31 competition venues that will be used for the 26 Olympic sports to be held in Beijing, 11 are new ones, 11 are existing venues which need renovating or expanding, nine are overlays or temporary venues. Forty one training venues and five facilities which are directly related to the Olympic Games will be needed.

   To ensure an easy access to the venues, 59 roads and three bridges will be built or renovated. Besides, the environment around the venues and roads will also be improved.

Backgrounder

What Has Been Achieved in Olympic Venue Construction?

   Up to date, 20 of the 31 competition venues in Beijing are under construction. Construction on the five related auxiliary facilities was launched last year. One training venue is under construction.

   I. Venues under Construction

   i. Competition Venues

1. National Stadium: Work is being done on the stadium's principal steel structure. Sixteen of the 24 trusses have been erected. Installation of the internal main trusses is being done.

2. National Aquatics Centre: The steel structure for the walls is being installed. Eighty per cent of the installation job has been finished.

3. Beijing Shooting Range Hall: Construction of the ammunition storehouse has been finished. The principal steel structures for the qualification competition halls have been finished. Steel roof structures and glass curtain walls are being installed. The principal steel structures for the final competition hall have been finished and work is being done on the secondary structure, and steel roof structures and glass curtain walls are being installed.

4. Laoshan Velodrome: The principal steel structures and the steel roof racks have been finished. The steel lanes are being installed inside the velodrome.

5. Wukesong Indoor Stadium: The principal reinforced structure has been finished. The first steel truss will be installed soon.

6. National Indoor Stadium: Concrete structure is being done on the two storeys above the ground. The principal structure will be finished by mid-April, 2006.

7. China Agriculture University Gymnasium: Steel and concrete main structure for the first storey has been finished. The west stand has been covered, and work on the south and east stands is being done.

8. Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium: The steel and concrete structures for the first storey have been finished, work on the steel and concrete structures for the second storey is being done.

9. Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Cannoeing Park: A total of 1.10 million cubic metres of earth have been dug for the racing courses in the static water area, accounting 55 per cent of the total earthwork. Structural works for the main stands and the finish point towers are being done. Basic works are being done for pumping houses in the static water and storage houses in the dynamic water area.

10. Peking University Gymnasium: Basic earthwork and basic poles have been finished.

11. Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium: Basic earthwork has been finished. Work on water-proofing structure is being done.

12. Fengtai Softball Field: The main competition venues and the auxiliary buildings have been topped. Ducts are being installed in these buildings. Steel structure is being installed on the standby field.

13. Workers' Indoor Stadium: The existing one is being demolished so a new one will be built.

14. The Clay Target Field in the Beijing 2008 Shooting Range: Ground was broken on March 24, 2006.

15. Fencing Gymnasium (inside the National Conference Centre): Construction of the fencing gymnasium, as an overlay within the National Conference Centre, is well underway.

16. Wukesong Baseball Filed: Basic earthwork is being done.

17. Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Field: Basic earthwork is being done.

18. Olympic Park Hockey Field: Basic earthwork is being done.

19. Archery Field: Basic earthwork is being done.

20. Olympic Park Tennis Centre: Foundation stone was laid on March 23, 2006.

   ii. Auxiliary Facilities

21. National Conference Centre: The Northern Area was topped on January 20, 2006, the main structures for the Southern Area are being done and are scheduled to be topped by the end of April.

22. Digital Beijing Building: Concrete structures for the fourth and fifth storeys are being done, and the main body is scheduled to be topped by June.

23. The Olympic Village: Divided into Areas A, B, C and D, the total floor areas in the future village amount to 530,000 square metres. Above-ground structures are being done for the four buildings in Area A-I. Underground structures for Area A-II, Area A-III, Area C are being done. Work will begin for Area B and Area D by the end of March.

24. Olympic Forest Park: Trees are being transplanted, lakes are being dug, and artificial hills are being piled up.

25. Media Village: Basic earthwork is being done.

   II. Venue Construction Plan for 2006

   i. Competition Venues

   In accordance with the venue construction plan for the 2008 projects, works on eight renovated venues, namely the Olympic Centre Stadium, the Olympic Centre Indoor Stadium, the Yingdong Swimming Hall, the Laoshan Mountain Bike Velodrome, the Capital Indoor Stadium, the Workers' Stadium, and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium, Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium, will be launched in 2006. Construction on one overlay (temporary venue), namely the BMX Field, will begin this year.

   ii. Training Venues

   There will be 41 independent training venues in Beijing. Works on 18 of them will be launched in 2006. The proprietors of the 18 venues have formulated initial renovation plans in line with the technical and security standards and usage requirements that are handed out by the Venue Planning and Construction Department, the Sport Department and the Security Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

   III. Urban Infrastructure

   Of the 59 roads and five bridges that will be built, seven roads have been operational, 26 roads and two bridges are under construction. In 2006, 19 roads and bridges in the vicinity of the Olympic venues will be launched.