2nd Ring Road (Beijing)

Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road to avoid congestion there. One can divide the road into two parts: the original ring road (the southern part of the original ring road is now excluded from the current ring road), and the newly extended ring road. This article concerns only the current situation of the 2nd Ring Road.

History and Geography

The 2nd Ring Road is roughly built on the abolished site of the former Beijing city walls such that one can be identified the different parts of the city walls by the tracks' names. Most of the tracks were named after the former city gates, a few of which are still exiting. These include Xibianmen, Dongbianmen, Deshengmen and Yongdingmen (which has been rebuilt). In addition, large parts of the former city walls were pulled down just after the People's Republic of China was established.

Although it was suggested that the 2nd Ring Road was built over the old city walls, by comparing current city maps with old maps of Beijing, it has been found this is not exactly true. The road is rather located on the former moat that surround the city wall. The ring road was finally completed in the 1980s.

Traffic lights on it were removed in the 1990s, and several new overpasses were built. The 2nd Ring Road became the city's first ring road without traffic lights.

In 2001, the 2nd Ring Road was given a renovation which included a total re-surfacing. The planting of more vegetation and landscaping have also been completed.

Line 2 of the Beijing Subway is positioned underneath the Second Ring Road, and most of the stations in this line have exits to both sides of the road.

The Old 2nd Ring Road

The former "old 2nd Ring Road" is rather ellipse-shaped. Its northwest part goes through Xizhimen, its northeast part goes through Dongzhimen, its southwest part goes through Dongbianmen and Xibianmen. Its southern part is connected to the southern end of the so-called "Metro Road" which goes through Qianmen, at the southern end of Tian'anmen Square.

The New 2nd Ring Road

The new road is simply an extension of the western and eastern parts of the original 2nd Ring Road. It extends beyond Dongbianmen and Xibianmen, thus reaching Zuo'anmen to the southeast and the Caihuying overpass complex in the southwest. The extensions were known for a while as the "external 2nd Ring Road", though this term is becoming more and more unpopular.

Gates and the 2nd Ring Road

The 2nd Ring Road passed through a number of the old city gates around Beijing before they were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s. Some particular ones are:

* Xizhimen
* Deshengmen
* Andingmen
* Dongzhimen
* Chaoyangmen
* Dongbianmen
* Yongdingmen
* Xibianmen
* Fuxingmen
* Fuchengmen

Now, only Deshengmen, Dongbianmen, Yongdingmen and Xibianmen are still standing. (Yongdingmen was recently rebuilt.)

Gates through which the Inner 2nd Ring Road ("Metro Road") passes are:

* Chongwenmen
* Zhengyangmen
* Xuanwumen

Only Zhengyangmen is still standing today.

Road conditions

urface conditions

When it was first built in the 1980s, the design of the 2nd Ring Road was sufficient for handling the traffic. However, as the traffic flow increased dramatically in the late 20th century, the condition of the road rapidly detiriorated. Before the renovation in 2001, the road gave an uncomfortable bumpy ride. Since the renovation, driving on the road has been much more pleasant.

Centralised location

Located in the heart of the city, the 2nd Ring Road is also a transportation bottleneck, although the current conditions are better than before.

Traffic jams are common on the 2nd Ring Road. Being linked to no immediate expressways, it is also difficult for people to leave the road. The speed limit is 80 km/h. Speed checks are very frequent and cameras are often operating, some of the locations of these are known, while some are hidden beneath bridges or behind screens.

Traffic jams

Traffic jams on the 2nd Ring Road have become a part of daily life for Beijingers. Nevertheless, the intensity of the jams varies.

The northern stretch between "Andingmen" and "Xiaojie Bridge" is often jammed, the same for part of the road around "Deshengmen". The northern parts of the eastern and western 2nd Ring Road would be like a temporary parking lot when traffic gets tough. The southern of these road sections far better.

Less frequently jammed and often free-flowing traffic can be found at the southern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road from "Caihuying" through "Zuo'anmen".

Road condition monitors

Electronic message signs (or screens) are placed throughout the 2nd Ring Road, displaying information about current traffic. The information is only given in simplified Chinese characters at present.

The western part of the 2nd Ring Road has "smart" electronic screens installed which is automatically updated every five minutes. Traffic conditions are continuously monitored. Maps are also shown on them to notify drivers of road conditions at various parts of the road. Currently, such screens were installed at Jishuitan, Xizhimen and Fuxingmen on the Chang'an Avenue.

Although Chinese characters may make no sense at all to foreign drivers, as the characters are coloured, the screens make it somewhat easier for foreigners to understand the road conditions.

Links to Expressways

A direct connection to the Airport Expressway was finished in 2006. There are no direct connections from the 2nd Ring Road to the Jingshen Expressway, Jingjintang Expressway or Jingcheng Expressway.

It is somehow possible to get to the Jingshi Expressway by heading south-west at Guang'anmen. The Jingkai Expressway is easily accessible by proceeding south to the complex-and-impressive Caihuying overpass. Jianguomen links with the Jingtong Expressway and the Jingha Expressway, while you can access the Badaling Expressway by heading north at Deshengmen.

List of Exits

[Heading in a clockwise direction as of the Northern 2nd Ring Road]

Notes:
* Exits present only in a clockwise direction are indicated by the symbol ↩; anticlockwise only, ↪; not yet open, ✕
* Exit sign symbols: ↗ = exit (✕ = unopened)

North 2nd Ring Road

*↗ Beitaipingzhuang, Xinjiekou (Jishuitan Bridge)
*↗ Madian "-- connects to direct road to Badaling Expressway" (Deshengmen Bridge)
*↗ Anhua Bridge (Gulou Bridge, Zhonglou North Bridge)
*↗ Jiangzhaikou (Andingmen Bridge)
*↗ Yonghegong, Beixinqiao (Yonghegong Bridge)
*↗ Hepingli (Xiaojie Bridge)
*↗ Airport Expressway

East 2nd Ring Road

*↗ Nongzhan Bridge, Beixinqiao (Dongzhimen Bridge)
*↗ Changhong Bridge, Kuanjie (Dongsishitiao Bridge)
*↗ Dongdaqiao (Chaoyangmen Bridge)
*↗ Dongdan, Guomao Bridge (Jianguomen Bridge)
*↗ (Dongbianmen Bridge)
*↗ (Guangqumen Bridge)
*↗ Temple of Heaven (Guangming Bridge)

outh 4th Ring Road

*↗ (Zuo'anmen Bridge)
*↗ Chongwenmen (Puhuangyu/Yuting Bridge)
*↗ (Jingtai Bridge)
*↗ (Yongdingmen Bridge)
*↗ (Taoran Bridge)
*↗ (Kaiyang Bridge)
*↗ Jingkai Expressway, Lize Bridge (Caihuying Bridge)

West 2nd Ring Road

*↗ (Baizhifang Bridge)
*↗ (Guang'anmen Bridge)
*↗ (Tianningsi Bridge, Xibianmen Bridge)
*↗ (Fuxingmen Bridge)
*↗ (Yuetan South Bridge, Yuetan North Bridge)
*↗ (Fuchengmen Bridge)
*↗ (Guanyuan Bridge)
*↗ (Xizhimen Bridge)