New pedestrian bridges to be built along Suzhou Creek
An artist's rendition of Zongjinggang Bridge.
Construction well underway on three sightseeing bridges along Suzhou Creek is to be completed by the end of the year as part of a walking path along the waterway.
Upon completion, residents and office workers in the Linkong CBD in Changning District can stroll along the creek on continuous paths and bridges while admiring the riverside scenery hiding among the downtown office high-rises.
The pedestrian bridges, stretching for about 30 meters, will span the three branches of the creek, Zongjinggang, Zhujiabang and Tongxie rivers, and connect three new riverside parks in western Changning, the district government said.
The 6.5-meter-wide Zongjinggang Bridge will connect the Linkong No. 1 and No. 2 parks, both being newly converted from a former main greenery nursery built in the 1950s. The steel handrails on both sides of the bridge resemble the butterfly wings to make the bridge look like a huge butterfly landing on the river.
An artist's rendition of how the Zhujiabang Bridge will look.
The larger double-layer Zhujiabang Bridge have an upper deck for skateboarders and a lower part for pedestrians. The 10-meter-wide zigzag bridge is even equipped with seats for people wishing to relax.
The shape of the Tongxie River Bridge, which connects to a riverside par, is inspired by paper cutting skills. The bending bridge is decorated with a latticed steel sculpture that looks like a paper cutting work.
These are part of local governments’ efforts to increase greenery coverage in western downtown as well as create continuous pedestrian paths along a creek that was once plagued by serious contamination problems.
Apart from Linkong No. 1 and No. 2 parks as well as the Suzhou Creek riverside park, construction has started on a 400-meter-long greenbelt along the city’s Outer Ring Road, Xinjing Park and the second phase of the central Xinjing public green land. All the parks are being built along waterways in western Changning.
An artist's rendition of the Tongxie River Bridge.
Work has also begun on a 3.7-kilometer downtown walking path along Suzhou Creek in Changning. The section of the path stretches from Zhongshan Park to Shuangliu Road in the first phase of a larger development, the district government said.
The path, with wheelchair access, will have turf, artificial turf and timber lanes for walking and running, along with lamps and CCTV cameras for security, especially at night.
After the first phase is opened, the government will expand the project to the east and the west to create a continuous path along the southern bank, officials said.
The 125-kilometer Suzhou Creek, which flows from Qingpu District to the Waibaidu Bridge, is the biggest tributary of the Huangpu River. Its downtown section runs through Putuo, Jing’an, Hongkou, Huangpu and Changning districts.
The Jing’an District government also plans to develop the Suhe Bay area, which covers 4.3 square kilometers on both sides of the creek, into an upmarket riverside community.
The Shanghai Water Authority says the fourth round of a campaign to clean up Suzhou Creek will be implemented soon to clear heavily polluted water on the creek and its branches by 2022.
The development plans on the creek were launched after local governments managed to open up a total of 45 kilometers of continuous riverside paths by the end of last year along the Huangpu River. The paths run through Yangpu, Hongkou, Huangpu, Xuhui districts and the Pudong New Area.
