Groundbreaking ceremony for China-funded railway underpass project held in Mongolia

ULAN BATOR, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A groundbreaking ceremony for a China-funded railway underpass project was held here in the Songinokhairkhan District of Ulan Bator on Wednesday.

Officials from China and Mongolia and project workers attended the ceremony.

The cross-railway travel time is expected to be reduced by about 40 percent, making urban transportation easier.

The project is expected to last 26 months, with construction consuming roughly two-thirds of the time. The work encompasses preparing the subgrade, constructing the road surface, installing culverts, ensuring traffic safety and relocating pipelines.

Ulan Bator, with more than 640,000 vehicles, is home to nearly half of Mongolia's 3.4 million population. The growing population and economy have led to severe traffic congestion.