Sanlitun Bar Street Prepares for Demolition, Sidewalks Widened on Sanlitun Road
A few months following the closure of Sanlitun Bar Street, the city looks to be putting plans for turning the strip – as well as the sidewalks stretching from Gongti Nanlu all the way to Liangmahe Nanlu – into a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly path.
As we wrote following the closure of Sanlitun Bar Street on Jan 31, reports by local media released on that date referenced plans to incorporate the street and the aforementioned swath of roadway into Beijing’s 慢行系统 mànxíng xìtǒng, which translates to something along the lines of a "slow traffic system."
Even though the initial plans stated these widened pathways and bike lanes were expected to reach from Chaoyang Beilu to Liangmahe Nanlu, it appears construction is only underway from Gongti Nanlu northward. Be that as it may, everything seems to be shaping up nicely.
Work that has been mostly completed close to Gongti Nanlu sees sidewalks widened to make for more space for people to stroll as well as more areas for as of yet to be planted greenery.
What’s more, the bike lane and sidewalk have been separated, with the widened sidewalk on the right hand side of the road moving north and the bike path on the left hand side. It should be worth noting that a sidewalk is still present where the bike path runs as well.
Moving northbound, the entirety of Sanlitun Bar Street has been cordoned off, and construction workers are setting up scaffolding before demolition of the strip begins. While it's still unclear what will become of this section of the path, city officials have said they intend to widen the sidewalks here and allow new businesses to open up shop.
From the former bar street onwards, not much looks to be being done until the road divides at Dongzhimen Waidajie, but considering Taikooli, Nali Patio, and a number of preexisting buildings reach closer to the street in this area, it’s not too surprising.
Crossing the street and continuing north along Sanlitun Lu past Dongzhimen Waidajie, construction is at various stages outside all the embassy buildings, and in some parts it appears as if the walkway won’t be as wide as it is south of Dongzhimen Waidajie.
All things considered, things conclude right at the Liangma River, making for what could be a nice stroll from Sanlitun to the waterfront, or vice versa, when everything is complete.
What are your thoughts on the redevelopment of Sanlitun Lu? Let us know in the comments!
READ: Plans for Sanlitun Bar Street Point to "Slow City" Shift for Beijing
Images: Vincent R. Vinci
