SECTIONS of Shenzhen Metro Line 6, with construction to commence this year, will run on elevated bridges as a cost-saving measure, Shenzhen’s rail construction office said.

    In a letter to the local people’s congress updating progress on the city’s third-phase rail construction, the office said Line 6 would mostly run on elevated bridges to save construction cost. Linking Songgang in Bao’an District and Shenzhen North Railway Station in Longhua New Area, the line will run along the less crowded areas outside the city’s CBD area.

    The construction cost of elevated bridges runs about one-third to one-half of the cost of underground projects.

    Metro Line 6, which passed an expert assessment organized by the national planning authority, runs about 38 kilometers and will stop at 20 stations.

    According to the initial plan, in length the elevated sections will be 31.43 kilometers and the underground sections will be 6.44 kilometers.

    Work on the extension of Metro Line 6, 11.2 kilometers extending from Shenzhen North Railway Station to Science Museum Station along Shangbu Road in Luohu District, will also commence this year.

    The Metro project is estimated to cost 14.9 billion yuan (US$2.42 billion). (Han Ximin)