Extended expressway network completed By Miao Qing (China Daily) Updated: 2005-12-26 05:31
SHANGHAI: The city has announced a basic completion of its 560-kilometre
fan-shaped expressway network, opening the A6, A7 and southern section of the
A30 expressways on Friday.
The city has been speeding up its expressway network construction in the past
five years, building eight expressways with a combined length of about 400
kilometres.
According to the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Administration, the city's
current expressway network allows people to enter the network within 15 minutes,
switch to any expressway within 30 minutes and arrive at any spot on the network
within 60 minutes.
Shi Guanghui, deputy director of the bureau, said the new expressway network
will provide easier access to the city's two transportation hubs, Yangshan
Deep-water Port and Pudong International Airport.
In addition, drivers coming from other provinces such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu
to enter Shanghai will have more route options thanks to the network, Shi said.
The newly built southern section of the A30 freeway intersects the A6 and A7
expressways in Shanghai's suburban Jinshan District.
The expressway was built in part to provide easier access to Shanghai from
the neighbouring Zhejiang Province, and is expected to divert part of the
traffic from the overloaded Shanghai-Hangzhou expressway.
"The expressway network will also strengthen Shanghai's radiant influence in
the Yangtze River Delta regions and facilitate the economic development of the
city's outskirts in the intercity communications," Shi said.
He also said in the next five years, Shanghai government would mainly focus
on the construction of main roads, more expressways and roads connecting
Shanghai with neighbouring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
The city's main road network is expected to measure 1,200 kilometres in total
length and expressway network will span 880 kilometres by 2010, according to the
bureau.
Shi also unveiled that a freeway will be built to link the city's Pudong
International Airport with three cities in Zhejiang Province Hangzhou, Huzhou
and Jiaxing.
(China Daily 12/26/2005 page3)
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