Luna Lu/Shanghai Daily News

The Youth Daily yesterday quoted the Huangpu River Bridge Building Co.Ltd. as saying that the extension of the Shanghai section of the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway was vital and that the project would start next May 1, and be completed in 2007.

The spokesman indicated that the Bridge company had signed a contract with the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway (Shanghai Section) Development Co., Ltd. for the extension in October, and now they have begun preparations for the construction.  He also told reporters that the extension will be east from Wanzhen Road, and west to the Automobile City Clover-leaf of the Shanghai-Nanjing Freeway.  The construction includes the roads, bridges, traffic signals, greenlands and so on.

Data shows that after the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway opened to traffic in 1996, the transportation situation between Shanghai and Nanjing improved effectively.  However, along with the rapid development of the economy in the Shanghai-Nanjing area, transportation demands grew significantly with numbers of workers.  After finishing this project, the Shanghai section of Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway will reach 20.85 kilometers, and the original four roadways will increase to eight.