Hi!

I've heard several different (but strongly held) opinions about the road construction going on now in the area of BeiJing Lu and Bei Chen Da dao. Some say it's for the new metro/subway line connecting north KMG to south KMG...others say maybe it's the light rail...others say just a test of soil. Does anyone actually know what's going on here? I'd be happy to hear its for the subway but I don't want my drothers to affect the answer. TX everyone in advance

Howdy - - I was told by the developer who is doing the project on the corner of BeiJingLu and BeiChen DaDao that it is light rail - - and that the liht rail stops will be in same areas as bus stops. Of course, we have also heard the subway thing - - but I believe the first is more definitive although we have not seen the official government version.
(By the way - - some of the Chinese we have talked with don't differentiate between light rail and subway.)
Cheers - - JJ

there definitely is construction work starting on the light rail around town.

opposite the Kunming Museum on Tuodong Lu there's a city planning building of some sort which has a big model of the city and displays which include info about the light rail.

as i understand it, some of the system will be subterranean, and some will not, which might explain the light rail/subway confusion.

Some construction folks told me a few years back that most of Kunming is unsuitable for underground rail because the bedrock is too shallow. I figure most, if not all of the new trains will be light rail.
The construction is almost definitely light rail. They announced it in the papers (and on this site) quite a while ago.

Thanks everyone!

I really appreciate your response to my question. I can watch the construction out my window and was getting very curious. Of course, the sooner the better for anything that can cut down on traffic in Kunming. I'm a big believer in mass transportation.

It'll be light rail in the area you mentioned and will be metro in some other area in KunMing.There must be a big jam for a long time.