A dead-end road stretching just over 700 meters has remained unfinished for nine years, becoming a persistent source of frustration for residents of Taihe Shijingyuan. Located in the Taihu Township of Tongzhou District, this road has fallen under the jurisdiction of the Yizhuang New City as part of the Yizhuang New City Plan (2017-2035). Residents have inquired about when the road will be completed, only to receive confusing and contradictory responses: “We were told to consult the construction party in Tongzhou District, but they said it depends on the plans of the Economic and Technological Development Area. When we contacted the Economic Development Zone, they replied that we should reach out to Tongzhou District. We are completely lost about whom to ask.”
Recently, a visit to the east gate of Taihe Shijingyuan revealed that Jiachuang 2nd Road has become an unmanaged parking lot filled with haphazardly parked private vehicles, leaving only a narrow passageway on the 10-meter wide road. Turning west from Jiachuang 2nd Road, one encounters a makeshift cement road blocked at the entrance by large stones. Mr. Wang, a resident, stated that this cement road is actually the unfinished Xingguang 1st Street.
The east side of Taihe Shijingyuan borders Jiachuang 2nd Road, while Xingguang 2nd Street and Xingguang 1st Street lie to the north and south, respectively. Since the community was completed in 2016, the roads to the east, west, and south have all been expanded into wide thoroughfares, while the north side, Xingguang 1st Street, remains a rudimentary gravel road laid by developers. "It's full of potholes and garbage, and illegal parking causes severe congestion, making it chaotic every day," Mr. Wang lamented. Despite several complaints leading to the pavement of a 300-meter section of the road near the community's north gate with cement and the installation of railings, it remains a dead-end road. Due to the dead-end nature of Xingguang 1st Street, which connects directly to Jiachuang 2nd Road at the east gate, traffic flow is severely disrupted. Though railings have mitigated illegal parking on Xingguang 1st Street, incidents of unauthorized parking on Jiachuang 2nd Road remain unaddressed.
The impact of Xingguang 1st Street's dead-end extends beyond residents of Taihe Shijingyuan. The road runs across four communities, including Taihe Shijingyuan, Sunshine City Jingyue Mansion, Sunshine Huating, and Hengtai Jiayuan. During a separate investigation, the reporter traveled east along Jiachuang Road from Hengtai Jiayuan and discovered a similar situation. After initially enjoying a smooth journey on a wide, clean road, the path was blocked after just over 400 meters by a construction fence enclosing the north side of Xingguang 1st Street adjacent to Sunshine City Jingyue Mansion and Sunshine Huating, where unmanaged weeds had taken over.
Ms. Chen, a resident, noted that due to the impassable road, the north gate of these two communities remains closed, leaving the area outside transformed into an unmanaged parking lot overcrowded with vehicles. She explained that due to extensive illegal parking at the dead-end, construction vehicles are unable to enter, which prompted the posting of a notice stating, "Parking is prohibited near the gate to ensure smooth progress of construction." However, she added that despite this, many vehicles continue to park in the area and that once construction is complete, the situation is likely to worsen.
The dismal state of the dead-end road, cluttered with parked cars, has left residents disappointed and perplexed. According to relevant planning documents, Xingguang 1st Street is intended to be a secondary urban road, approximately 1200 meters long and 40 meters wide. Taihe Shijingyuan was the first of the four communities to be completed, and since moving in 2016, residents have eagerly awaited the road's completion to gain access to the Fifth Ring Road via Xingguang 1st Street. However, despite the completion of Sunshine City Jingyue Mansion and Sunshine Huating in 2019, there has been no further progress regarding the opening of the road.
In 2019, residents were informed by Taihu Township in Tongzhou District that the construction of Xingguang 1st Street was under the responsibility of Beijing Guanggu Technology Park Development Company ("Guanggu Company"). It was stated that construction had progressed toward the conclusion for Sunshine City Jingyue Mansion and Sunshine Huating, allowing the road to be included in planning, pending the completion of preliminary procedures. As the area was known to involve basic farmland, the company would coordinate adjustments to ensure construction could begin in the second half of 2020. This news initially instilled hope among residents.
In 2021, as Hengtai Jiayuan was built, the northern section of Xingguang 1st Street was indeed completed over a five-month construction period. "Hengtai Jiayuan is located at the west end of the road, so we thought they would definitely extend the road from west to east," said Mr. Wang. However, just as work appeared to be nearing their doorstep, news about ongoing construction ceased. Further inquiries revealed that this construction project only involved the 400-plus meters of the northern section near Hengtai Jiayuan, which was completed and accepted in August 2021. The remaining segment exceeding 700 meters north of Taihe Shijingyuan, Sunshine City Jingyue Mansion, and Sunshine Huating was not included in any construction plan.
Watching the newly paved six-lane road to the north side of Hengtai Jiayuan left residents from the other three communities envious and confused. "Why is it that their newly built community has immediate road access while we have waited so long?" questioned one resident. "Given that it is all part of Xingguang 1st Street, why is only this last 700-meter segment not being repaired?"
The back-and-forth communication among various agencies has only added to residents' frustration. Initially, responses came from Taihu Township, but since 2022, the situation grew more complex. Residents were advised that Xingguang 1st Street remained in the planning phase, as the area was reassigned to the Economic Development Zone, making that a jurisdictional matter. Consequently, public infrastructure construction, including this road, fell under their domain.
However, when residents contacted relevant departments within the Economic Development Zone, the responses drastically changed: the road remains unfinished due to the relocation of households still occupying space. *Guanggu Company* is the implementing entity for the project and should expedite the resolution of displacement issues, yet the company falls under the jurisdiction of Tongzhou District. The Land Reserves and Construction Service Center of the Economic Development Zone indicated that Xingguang 1st Street lies within the optical-electrical integration industrial base in Taihu Township, under *Guanggu Company's* responsibility for primary development.
The Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning and Land Resources Development East Bureau clarified that while they oversee territory planning, road construction itself is outside their scope of responsibilities. They reassured residents that the road network for Xingguang 1st Street was detailed and planned; the ongoing delay in construction stemmed from land acquisition disputes, and that they should contact Guanggu Company. Yet, upon reaching Guanggu, they first stated that the road's development was a government investment and not something they were authorized to build. Afterward, they reiterated that it must await confirmation from the government regarding construction plans.
By late 2023, *Guanggu Company* finally shifted their stance and claimed that they would commence land acquisition and continue conducting necessary road constructions according to plans. However, as confusion reignited, the Economic Development Zone stated that land acquisition progress depended on *Guanggu Company's* actions.
The ongoing miscommunication and finger-pointing among various authorities have left residents bewildered. Mr. Wang expressed their collective frustration: “We just want to know when this dead-end road will finally open, but now we are utterly confused.”
As nearly two years have passed since late 2023, clarity over which authority governs the construction remains elusive. A recent comment from the staff at the Economic Development Zone's Land Reserve and Construction Service Center echoed these sentiments: while they oversee government-funded projects, currently, this road does not belong to their renovation projects. Although officially assigned to the Economic Development Zone, the construction role still lies with *Guanggu Company*, designated by Tongzhou District as an “in-progress primary development project.”
In summary, although the area has transitioned to the Economic Development Zone's oversight, any new road or facility constructions in the area will be their responsibility. For Xingguang 1st Street, which is already half-finished and stalled due to land liquidation issues, the burden falls once again on Guanggu, which remains under the management of Taihu Township. Staff from the Urban Operations Bureau within the Economic Development Zone clarified that, while they oversee road maintenance, they are not responsible for constructing dead-end roads; requests for new road construction plans should originate from the local administration at Taihu Township, which holds authority for reporting them for completion and future maintenance.
After extensive inquiry and shifts in jurisdictional explanations, uncertainty continues over who actually manages the project, leaving unclear proposals about completion timelines. Residents have called upon stakeholders: “With only over 700 meters of road left in contention, impacting the travel of multiple community residents, we urge all parties involved to promptly clarify their responsibilities and expedite the opening of thisfinal stretch of dead-end road.”