BEIJING -- Eighteen transportation projects are set to break ground next year in Beijing's Tongzhou district, part of the infrastructure for what will be the capital's "subsidiary administrative center."

Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said at a press release on Tuesday that construction on seven road projects, stretching some 75 kilometers, began in 2016. Eleven new projects, including bridges and bus lanes, will start in 2017.

According to the commission, in the next five years the district will have a rail network featuring inter-city, suburban and urban lines.

Tongzhou, which is about 40 minutes' drive from the center of Beijing, was named the subsidiary administrative center for Beijing municipality last year as part of measures to tackle overcrowding in the capital.