A new elevated expressway will be completed by the end of the month linkingHongqiaoand the city center,relievingcongestion in the northwest.

Pavementing on the new entry section of the S26 Expressway was completed yesterday, the last stage of the project, an important link between Shanghai and neighboringJiangsuandZhejiangprovinces.

The entry section, known as the Shanghai-ChangzhouExpressway, stretches 7 kilometers from Huaxin Town in Qingpu to theBeidiandJiaminelevated roads inMinhangDistrict.

“It is expected to become the city’s western gateway, as well as a key accessroute to the National Exhibition and Convention Center,” said LeHaichunwith Shanghai Tunnel Engineering.

To serve a large amount of traffic, including heavy trucks, a more durable pitch has been used on the section.

Compared with conventional pitch, the new pavement can endure great changes in temperature and extreme pressure.

“The expressway is built with steel supports which are faster to build and can be recycled,” said Le.

Steel expands in summer and contracts in winter, so the group invented a new type of pitch which can withstand the extremes of the city climate, he added. About 68 percent of the highway was pre-manufactured in afactory to reduce noise and dust.