7th Ring Road

Currently only present in the minds of urban projectors, it is likely that Beijing's 7th Ring Road will be built as the city's first expressway ring road which transcends beyond the boundaries of Beijing municipality.

Originally, the 7th Ring Road was to be built as a 1st or 2nd level road, not necessarily an expressway. It was supposed to be called "gonglu san huan", or "3rd Highway/Expressway Ring Road".

The size of such a 7th Ring Road, exceeding the city limits of Beijing, would actually link "very" distant districts and townships "and" expand into the neighbouring provinces and cities. In essence, this wouldn't be "Beijing's" 7th Ring Road, but the "region's" "7th Ring Road".

The entire expressway ring road would stretch for well over 400 kilometres; the eastern portion alone could go for 100 kilometres. "All" of Beijing would be encompassed, including Badaling and Miyun, and even areas as far east as Tianjin and parts of Hebei province (including Zhuozhou and Sanhe).

Sources say that, with the creation of a 7th Ring Road, a "second airport" for Beijing won't be too far away.

The route of the 7th Ring Road is unclear. No maps show the ring road in any form.

There is opposition towards such a creation, which would begin around 2008 . People say that "ringing" Beijing with ring roads simply isn't the answer to all of its traffic jams. Cries for a satellite town method are increasing.

A potential joke exists that, should Beijing actually "get" a 7th Ring Road, it does not need an "8th" Ring Road; it could take China National Highway 112, which runs just outside of Beijing (municipality), as the 8th Ring Road.

In 2004, the central government approved Beijing's new urban plans, which did "not" include a 7th Ring Road.