Mouse clicking replaced mass labor in monitoring the up-to-date situations of 4,820 roads and 1,564 bridges in Shanghai yesterday when a geographic information system (GIS) was put into use.

Experts say Shanghai is the first city in China to adopt the GIS in monitoring its key arteries and thoroughfares.

"The system offers strong support in overseeing the city's traffic network by gathering first-hand data efficiently," said Wang Yizhong, deputy director of the Municipal Civil Engineering & Management Bureau.

Shanghai currently has 3,674 kilometers (2283 miles) of roads and 1.5 million square meters (1.8 square yards) of bridges in use and more are under construction.

But traditional management techniques were increasingly not up to scratch and hinder further infrastructure construction.

Previously, people used their eyes to judge whether a bridge needed refurbishing or a new road was necessary.

But the bureau has been cooperating with Tongji University in developing this modern system since 1998 and trials have proved successful.

The system covers all specifications of roads, bridges, overpasses, tunnels and elevated highways in Shanghai's 19 districts and counties.

Whenever the vehicle carrying four imported machines - the Five Laser Profile, Falling Weight Electrometer, Digital Video Analyst and Ground Penetrator Radar - passes, various data concerning the road will be recorded.

(China Daily April 11, 2002)