BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The longest highway designed for Beijing Olympics, linking the Olympic Village and the Olympic Water Park in the east suburban area, opens to traffic on Saturday, the Beijingnews reported.

The Baima Road, about 20 kilometers long and with a speed limit of 60 kilometers an hour, will serve as a major artery in Beijing that provides convenient and fast access to the Olympic venue in Shunyi District.

Zhou Zhengyu, deputy director of Beijing Traffic Management Commission, said it would take 30 minutes for athletes from the Olympic Village in northern Beijing to the Water Park via the road.

Zhou said during the Beijing Games, exclusive lane will be reserved on the highway for Olympic vehicles.

According to Zhou, auxiliary roads and overpasses will be built near the northern section of the fifth ring road, where many Olympic venues are located, to ease traffic pressure.