But the benefits of these measures are overshadowed by the planned construction of the fourth and fifth ring roads. The fourth ring road will be called Olympic Boulevard, and will contain 8 lanes, 147 flyovers, and connections to seven major expressways. The government plans to connect every community with 50,000 people or more to a major expressway.

The current 53.7 kilometer subway system will be extended to 140 kilometers by 2008, adding a line linking the International Airport to Downtown Beijing and a line linking the Olympic Park to Downtown Beijing.

In related news, China has recently surpassed Canada in total highway miles. With 11,800 miles of pavement, China now boasts the second most extensive highway network in the world, second only to the United States. Much of the new construction has been enabled with government treasury bonds.