The third phase renovation of National Highway 107 in Bao'an District began recently and is expected to ease traffic jams on the only road linking the district with downtown Shenzhen.

The 1.4-billion-yuan (US$173 million) project is expected to be completed by the end of 2007, according to the district's highway bureau.

National Highway 107 starts from Beijing and ends in Shenzhen, with a 31.8-kilometer section in Bao'an, linking the western part of Shenzhen with other cities.

Between 7,000 and 10,000 vehicles use the six-lane road each hour. The highway has a designed handling capacity of 8,000 vehicles per hour, and the traffic flow is expected to rise by 10 percent each year.

The first and second phases of the road renovation were completed in 2000 and 2002 respectively.

The third phase will improve a 18.7-kilometer stretch from the airport flyover to Tangxiayong flyover running through Fuyong, Shajing and Songgang, and will widen the road from six lanes to eight.

Upon completion, the highway will be able to accommodate 10,065 vehicles each hour.

Editor: Donald