According to the Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office, 42 of the total 52 Winter Olympics construction projects have started. The landmark venue -the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the "Ice Ribbon" - will be completed by the end of 2019. 

In 2018, 27 Winter Olympics projects began construction and are progressing as planned, said Ding Jianming, deputy director from the construction headquarters office. 

Construction on eight new venues in downtown Beijing and Yanqing district have all started. The National Speed Skating Oval has completed the main structure, and progresses on the National Alpine Skiing Center and the National Bobsleigh and Luge Center have reached the midpoint. 

The National Speed Skating Oval features a saddle-shaped single-layer cable-net supported structure with the world's largest span. It took eight months from the beginning of the underground structure construction in April 2018 to the completion at the end of 2018. 

The comprehensive training center "Ice Temple" was also completed, and the residence buildings and the Shougang Ski Jumping Center are still under construction. 

While the projects of new venues are underway, the renovation projects of old venues are also proceeding smoothly. Making use of the 2008 Olympics venues and transforming them into venues for the Winter Olympics has demonstrated Beijing's Olympic development philosophy: Sustainability, usability, profitability. Beijing has planned to renovate eight old Olympic venues and set a good example in the reuse of Olympic venues.  

Five of the renovation projects have started - the National Aquatics Center (also known as the "Water Cube"), the National Indoor Stadium, the Capital Indoor Stadium, the Capital Skating Gymnasium, and the Capital Training Hall. In the National Aquatics Center, the original swimming pool is converted to a curling rink through the installation of steel structures in the pool. It is the world's first multifunctional venue for both water and ice sports events. The National Indoor Stadium's old glass wall has been replaced by ice-like glass bricks to let in more natural light and help reduce energy consumption. The Capital Indoor Stadium has applied the newest sound and lighting system to create the best atmosphere. 

The Cadillac Arena has completed the trial of conversion between the ice rink and the basketball court within six hours. Its following renovation will start in 2020. The National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, will host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies, and its renovation will start in 2021.

On Jan. 7, the utility tunnel in Yanqing was completed. It will be used to channel ice-making water, domestic water, recycled water, electricity, and telecommunications and cable services. The utility tunnel is one of the 31 infrastructure projects for the Winter Olympics. Other infrastructure projects include 11 transportation projects, 12 electricity projects, four water projects, and three telecommunications projects. By the end of 2018, 25 projects had started, while the Xingyan Expressway, Songyan Road and the station transformer project in Changping had been completed. According to the headquarters office, another three projects will start and 19 projects will be completed in 2019. 

The National Speed Skating Oval and other sports stadiums will form a landmark architecture complex in Beijing. The utility tunnel in Yanqing will facilitate water and power supply and further serve the Winter Olympics. The construction in the National Alpine Skiing Center will include the preparations of qualified tracks and supporting facilities for test events, as the center will host the first test competition of the Winter Olympics in February 2020. 

Other projects to be completed this year include the Yanchong Expressway, the "Ice Temple," and the National Bobsleigh and Luge Center.

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