CONSTRUCTION on Shenzhen’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line connecting Shenzhen Railway Station in Luohu District and Xili in Nanshan District will start by the end of this year.

Stretching 23.28 kilometers, the 1.67-billion-yuan (US$220-million) BRT project will be put into use by the end of 2008, according to a plan unveiled by the city government Monday.

The first BRT line will run along Sungang Road, Lianhua Road, Qiaoxiang Road and Longzhu Thoroughfare, passing by a number of large residential communities like Yuanling, Huangmugang, Lianhuabei, Jingtian, Honey Lake and Longzhu.

The line will have two spur lines in Futian District, with one running along the north-south Huanggang Road and Meilin Checkpoint, and the other along Qiaoxiang Road connecting with Che Gong Miao Metro Station.

One of the major east-west roads in Shenzhen, Sungang Road suffers from serious traffic congestion with an average speed of only 10 to 15 kilometers per hour for public buses during rush hour.

Passengers usually have to wait between 10 and 50 minutes for a bus.

The BRT line will enable buses to run as fast as 25 kilometers per hour, the Shenzhen Evening News reported yesterday.

The line will join five Metro lines at eight transit stations, providing easy transfers between BRT buses and Metro trains.(Wei Jie)

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