Construction of Beijing's new international airport is progressing smoothly¹, with 60 percent of the concrete work finished.

北京新国际机场的建设进展顺利，目前已经完成了60％的混凝土工程量。

It will be put into operation in 2019, according to Zhu Wenxin, spokesperson for the construction team working on the airport.

据机场建设指挥部新闻发言人朱文欣表示，该机场将于2019年投入使用。

The new airport will facilitate more convenient transportation². Located in Beijing's Daxing district, the airport is 46 kilometers south of Tiananmen Square and 67 kilometers away from Beijing Capital Airport.

新机场将提供更便利的交通。机场位于北京大兴区，在天安门广场以南46公里处，距北京首都机场67公里。

Through expressways, intercity rails and high-speed rails, passengers can reach Tianjin, Baoding and Tangshan in one hour; Shijiazhuang, Jinan and Qinhuangdao in about two hours; and Taiyuan, Zhengzhou and Shenyang in three hours.

通过高速公路、城际铁路和高速铁路，乘客在一小时左右可通达天津、保定和唐山；两小时左右可通达石家庄、济南和秦皇岛；三小时左右可通达太原、郑州和沈阳。

There will be four main runways at the new airport - three vertical³ and one horizontal. This is the first time that this particular pattern has been adopted in China.

新机场将建设四条主要跑道--三纵一横。这是中国第一次采用这种特殊的模式。

The pattern will help shorten flight times and reduce delays, according to Zhu.

朱文欣称，这种模式将有助于缩短飞行时间，减少航班延误。

According to its design, the airport will be able to handle 72 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo⁴ by 2025.

根据该机场的设计，到2025年，机场的旅客吞吐量将达到7200万人次，货邮吞吐量200万吨。

In the long term, its capacity will stretch up to 100 million passengers per year. Total investment for the current phase of construction is 80 billion yuan (12 billion dollars).

从长远来看，它的吞吐量将扩大到每年1亿人次乘客。本期建设总投资为800亿元（折合120亿美元）。