Beijing will replace guardrails on major downtown streets as it prepares for a military parade and celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the war against Japanese aggression.

A total of 11 miles of guardrails will be replaced on Chang'an Avenue and surrounding areas, said Liu Qiang, deputy Party secretary of state-run Beijing Shougang Machinery & Electric Co., Ltd., a company that manufactures the steel barriers.

Guardrails on streets along Zhongnanhai, the seat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the central government, will also be replaced.

Some old guardrails have become rusty and unsightly, while new ones are sturdy and durable and will better blend into the street views, he said.

Work to replace the barriers is being carried out at night to avoid affecting traffic on the main city artery, he added.