Subway lines coming

Six new subway lines and extensions will break ground soon, adding nearly 100 kilometers of track to the Beijing subway. The estimated completion date is 2016, the Beijing Daily reported.

Construction will begin by the end of 2013 on the Yanfang Line (15 kilometers), the third phase of Line 6 (10 kilometers), the third phase of Line 8 (16 kilometers), the second phase of the Changping Line (11 kilometers), Line 16 (26 kilometers), and the Shanhou Line (16 kilometers).

The Line 8 extension is expected to present the most challenges. With a route that goes under Wangfujing Pedestrian Street, Chang'an Street, Qianmen and Zhushikou area, its construction work will be constrained by numerous relic protection sites.