Beijing city resumes metro construction amid epidemic control

BEIJING -- Workers have resumed the construction of a metro line that will serve the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which had been suspended due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The western section of Line 11, measuring about 4.2 km, is designed to have four stations. The construction started in 2019 and is scheduled to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2021.

The line serves the office area of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee and sports venues in the western part of Beijing.

Beijing plans to invest 66.2 billion yuan (around $9.47 billion) in 100 infrastructure projects this year. The metro line is one of 16 rail transit projects under construction this year to massively extend Beijing's metro network.

Beijing is taking measures for the prevention and control of the epidemic while gradually resuming the construction of major projects.

Zhao Jianwu, a project manager at the construction site, said that 148 workers have passed health checks to enter the metro line construction site. Each worker on duty can receive three new masks every day for self-protection against infection risks.

"We are racing to carry out safe construction to keep up with the project schedule," said Zhao.