A century-old bridge across Suzhou Creek will be dismantled and reconstructed next year to facilitate construction of a new subway line, the construction company in charge of the project announced yesterday.

 

 

Before the Henan Road Bridge, which was built more than 130 years ago, is dismantled early next year, two temporary steel bridges will be built nearby to facilitate traffic in the area.

 

One of the temporary bridges will be built to the east of Henan Road for both vehicles and cyclists, while one built west of the road will only be open to cyclists.

 

"Daily transport will not be affected by the reconstruction project," Zhao Guangen of Shanghai Construction Group said yesterday.

 

He said the reconstructed bridge will have six lanes, two more than the current bridge, to facilitate more traffic during rush hours, when the current bridge is packed bumper to bumper.

 

"The project is expected to be completed by June of 2008," Zhao said.

 

The cost of the project has not been released to the public.

 

The bridge is being dismantled to allow underwater work on a tunnel for Metro Line 10, which is scheduled to go into operation before the end of 2010.

 

The 34-kilometer-long subway line will link New Jiangwan City in Yangpu District to the Hongqiao International Airport.

 

It will make stops near Nanjing Road, Yuyuan Garden, Sichuan Road, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Shanghai Library, according to the company.

 

The Henan Road Bridge was originally a wooden bridge when it was built 130 years ago, but was reconstructed out of steel later on, officials said.

 

(Shanghai Daily November 11, 2006)