The first suspension monorail line in Wuhan in Central China's Hubei province is in testing phase. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A new suspension monorail line in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei province, is expected to start operating in 2021, local officials said on Aug 31.

The zone, also known as the Optics Valley of China, is a hub for a multitude of high-tech companies and projects.

A critical part of the eco-tourism demonstration area project in the Optics Valley eco-corridor, the development is also the first suspension monorail project in Wuhan city.

The carriages of the monorail are suspended below track, on beams that are supported in the air by steel structural columns.

These run along a green belt that does not encroach onto the roadway. The entire system can be extended, rerouted or disassembled at any time, in order to match the development of the city or meet the needs of tourism.

The first phase of the project is about 10.5 kilometers long with six stops and a monorail base covering about 12 hectares. In addition, the project plans to have a transfer station between the line and Metro Line 11.