Olympic Venue Construction Progressing Smoothly

With fewer than 864 days left to go before the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the world's interest in the Games' Olympic-venue construction is increasing.

 

But no one need have any worries.

All the 2008 Games' venues will be ready for testing during or prior to 2007, according to the chief economic engineer of Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarters Office, Wang Zhiyuan, although Jin Yan, the deputy director of the Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarters Office, said some of the venues may not be ready to operate until August or September.

 

Wang addressed the media at a press conference held at the Olympic Media Centre in Beijing on March 27, 2006, during which the Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarters Office chief reported that 20 of the 31 competition venues in Beijing are under construction. This includes all the Games' new venues and most of the existing venues, which are either being renovated or will be renovated beginning in 2006. Construction is progressing on the Games' two main venues, the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest") and the National Aquatics Centre ("Watercube"); their main structures are already in place.

 

Tens of thousands of workers are working feverishly to prepare the 37 Olympic competition venues located along the country's eastern seaboard, including 14 new venues, 14 existing facilities that need renovation and upgrading, and nine temporary venues. There are 17,000 workers in Beijing alone, and that number is expected to rise to 30,000 by mid-2006 when venue construction is expected to peak. Venues outside Beijing are located in the co-host cities of: Shanghai, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin (venues for football preliminaries), Qingdao (the venue for the 29^th Olympic Sailing Regatta) and in Hong Kong (the venue for the Game's equestrian events).

 

Achievement in Competition Venues Construction

The principal steel structure of the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympic Games, where the Games' opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events will be held, is rising into the skies. Sixteen of the stadium's 24 specially designed trusses have been erected. Installation of the internal main trusses is under way.

At a cost of 3.13 billion yuan (US$377.8 million), the National Stadium is designed to accommodate 100,000 spectators. Since construction is going well, and because a retractable roof was omitted from the Bird's Nest's design, the next biggest concern of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) is: What happens if it rains? The Games will begin at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008, which happens to come at the end of the rainy season in North China.

The main structures of the 1.02 billion yuan (US$125.8 million) National Aquatics Centre are also already in place. The steel structure for the Watercube's walls is being installed. Eighty percent of the installation work has been finished.

 

Achievement in Auxiliary Facilities

Construction of the Games' auxiliary facilities is getting the same precise and detailed attention as preparations for the Olympic competitions. Again, everything is on schedule.

The Northern Area of the National Conference Centre was topped out on January 20, 2006. This occurred as the main structures for the Southern Area were being put in place, scheduled to be topped out by the end of April 2006.

The main body of the Digital Beijing Building is scheduled to be topped out by June and concrete structures for its fourth and fifth storeys are currently under construction.

 

The Olympic Village, a crucial auxiliary facility, has been divided into Areas A, B, C and D, with a total floor area of 530,000 square metres. Above-ground structures are in place for the four buildings in Area A-I. Underground structures for Area A-II, Area A-III, and Area C are under way. Work will begin for Areas B and D by the end of March 2006.

 

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

The environment around the venues and roads will also be improved, with major forestation taking place in the Olympic Green, a theme park especially created for the Games, around sports venues, and along roads that connect the venues and the city centre, according to Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan.

 

Construction Plans for 2006

In accord with the venue construction plan for the 2008 Games, work on eight renovated venues, 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, the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium and the Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium, will begin in 2006. Construction on one temporary venue, the Bicycle Motocross (BMX) Field, will also begin during the year.

Work on 18 of the 41 independent training venues in Beijing will be launched in 2006. The proprietors of the 18 venues have suggested initial renovation plans in line with technical and security standards and usage requirements that were issued by the Venue Planning and Construction, the Sports and the Security departments of BOCOG.

 

1008 Beijing work schedules have been coordinated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and BOCOG's arrangements for test matches that ensure the venues' readiness.

The progress of Beijing's preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games is going smoothly and orderly.

Jin Yan said of the Games preparations, "If we are compared with previous Olympic-host cities, we are of the same pace."

 

Latest Updates of Olympic Venue Construction

 

Beijing Shooting Range Hall: Construction of the ammunition storehouse and the principal steel structures for the qualification competition halls has been finished. Steel roof structures and glass curtained 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. Steel roof structures and glass curtain walls are being installed.

 

Laoshan Velodrome: Principal steel structures and steel roof racks have been finished. Steel lanes are being installed inside the velodrome.

 

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

 

National Indoor Stadium: Its concrete structure is completed on the two above-ground storeys. The principal structure will be finished by mid-April 2006.

 

China Agriculture University Gymnasium: Steel and concrete main structures for the first storey have been finished. The west stand is covered; work on the south and east stands is under way.

 

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 ongoing.

 

Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park: A total of 1.10 million cubic metres of earth has been dug for the racing courses in the static-water area, accounting for 55 percent of the total earthwork. Structural works for the main stands and the finish point towers are being built. Basic works are taking place for pump houses in the static-water and storage houses in the dynamic-water area.

 

Peking University Gymnasium: Basic earthwork and supports have been finished.

 

Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium: Basic earthwork has been finished. Work on waterproofing the structure is ongoing.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Wukesong Baseball Filed: Basic earthwork is being done.

 

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

 

Olympic Park Hockey Field: Basic earthwork is being done.

 

Archery Field: Basic earthwork is being done.

 

Olympic Park Tennis Centre: Its foundation stone was laid on March 23, 2006.

 

Olympic Forest Park: Trees are being transplanted, lakes are being dug, and artificial hills are being created.

 

Media Village: Basic earthwork is being done.