The exit ramp from the Yan'an Elevated Road offers a spectacular view of Shanghai's famed waterfront. The ramp is targeted for demolition under a project designed to move traffic underground along the Bund. [Shanghai Daily]

Shanghai plans to demolish an elevated highway ramp that provides postcard views of the city's famed waterfront as engineers map out a major construction campaign to divert traffic below ground level along the Bund.

The ramp - at the eastern end of the Yan'an Road Elevated Road - is both an architectural eyesore and a traffic hazard, city officials said.

Its appearance doesn't match the Bund's classic skyline, and the lofty views are so good that tour buses and motorists often block traffic by slowing down for a look - or even a photo.

The city's engineering authorities are serving a greater aesthetic, they say.

They're working on a massive redevelopment effort called the Waitan Passage Project, which envisions the construction of 4,410 meters of underground roads along the Bund in Huangpu District and riverside areas in neighboring Hongkou District to relieve traffic pressure. It's even possible, authorities said, that the Bund will be turned entirely into a tourism and leisure spot, with no vehicles allowed.

Engineers have posted project details online at http://envir.online.sh.cn, and they're seeking opinions from the public on any environmental concerns they might have.

When construction will begin is uncertain.

"We have begun appraising the feasibility of the project, so there's no clear schedule yet," Qian Jianguo of the Shanghai Engineering Administrative Bureau said yesterday.

The present plan calls for the removal of both the Yan'an Road exit ramp on the Bund and the Wusong Road water gate, which is used for tidal control where the Suzhou Creek empties into the Huangpu River.

City traffic police said several accidents have occurred on the ramp as vehicles slowed to take in the scenery.

Police launched extensive patrols on the elevated highway Monday evening to warn drivers about the hazards of such behavior.

The ramp may be missed, however, by the tourists who have snapped photos from its heights as the Shanghai skyline swept into full view.

Some locals may miss the vantage point as well.

"If they have to tear it down for sake of the project, I hope authorities will consider building a new spot that can provide locals with a good view of the Bund," said Summer Zhao, 25, a Shanghai logistics worker.