Related stories

"Let's Olympic," FAW-VOLKSWAGEN Olympic Park in Shanghai Tan Dun: on the Energy and Passion of Olympic Beijing Beijing, Qingdao Excel in Olympic Test Events Olympic Pictograms Convey the Passion of Sport Volkswagen - Partner of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Construction of Olympic Venues in Full Spring

The construction of Olympic venues and related facilities will continue as usual during the winter season to guarantee the completion of all the Olympic projects by the end of 2007, according to Wang Gang, vice-director of the administrative office of the Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarters.

"We began making arrangements for the winter construction programme in the third quarter of the year, and it began in November," said Wang. "Since construction over winter is very normal for Beijing, we have taken necessary measures in areas such as planning and workloads.

"We have also strengthened management and enhanced the supervision of some units. We are fully confident that the winter construction work is going well and that the quality of the work will be ensured," said Wang.

Preparation for the 2008 Games is in full swing with 45 Olympic projects under construction, among which 25 are competition venues, 15 training venues and five Olympics-related facilities such as the Olympic Village. Construction has also begun on 51 of the 61 roads and three of the four bridges around the Olympic venues.

The main steel structures of the two major venues––the National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest) and the National Aquatics Center (the Water Cube)––have already been built. The construction of the main stadium is shifting to the installation of membranes, decorations, electromechanical equipment and exterior engineering project, while 85 percent of the Water Cube’s membrane installation is done. With heavy research and development expenditures on technological innovation of the environmentally friendly building, the Water Cube might exceed its 1.02 billion yuan (US$130.43 million) budget, according to project manager, Sun Hongzhuang.

About 26,000 workers are employed on Olympic projects, with great attention being paid to their safety, security and other rights. “We have intensified our training and management of workers and we have adopted strict safety standards to ensure the safety of our workers,” said Wu Jingjun, chief engineer of the construction headquarters. “We are also trying to create better working and living conditions for them.” So far, there have been no major accidents, according to Wu.