Baoshan gets new connection downtown

CONSTRUCTION has started on a new thoroughfare in Baoshan to better connect the northern district with downtown Putuo and Changning districts.

The project will connect the Luxiang and Qilianshan roads in Baoshan which are now separated by the Wenzaobang River and other landmarks, the district government explained yesterday.

About 2.3 kilometers of new road will be built with a total investment of 1.6 billion yuan (US$240 million). The project includes tunnels as well as a bridge to cross over the river, the Baoshan government said.

Upon its completion, the road will connect the Songhong Road in Changning to make it more convenient for residents to shuttle between Baoshan, Putuo and Changning districts, the government said.

The road will also become a major north-south artery of Shanghai and effectively relieve congestion on the busy Hutai Road, currently the only thoroughfare where Baoshan connects with downtown regions. The road is often jammed with trucks and vehicles, especially during rush hours.

The new road will also better connect newly formed residential communities in Luodian and Gucun towns where tens of thousands of former downtown households have been relocated to give way to urban revamping projects. It will also become a main connection to the Nanda area, a heavily polluted former industrial site being converted into an intelligence community by the Baoshan government.