Highway ramps to be razed for rail, expressway projects
The Jiading-Minhang Elevated Highway.
Part of a key elevated highway on the southwest outskirts of Shanghai will be demolished to make way for the construction of a new railway, an expressway and a subway to connect the city's two airports.
Two ramps of the Jiading-Minhang Elevated Highway will be closed to traffic from Friday night for the demolition project. Another ramp has already been shut down since June 4, according to Shanghai Chengtou Highway Investment Group, the project's main builder.
Drivers and several bus routes will have to detour via nearby roads on the ground over the following two years and four months for the construction.
After the completion of the several key transport projects both above and underground, the ramps will be rebuilt with some improvements to restore traffic in the node area connecting Jiuting in Songjiang District and Qibao in Minhang.
The section of the elevated highway serves as the main artery in the city's southwest. A large number of vehicles drive to or from downtown via the highway and surrounding roads during rush hours every day, posing a great challenge for the demolition work, Tian Haiyang, one of the project's chief engineer, said.
"The ramps are only 4.8 meters from the Shanghai-Kunshan Railway and close to the Xiaolaigang River," Tian revealed.
The construction team has made three dimensional screening on the site to conduct precious construction work, he added.
Two ramps of the Jiading-Minhang Elevated Highway will be closed to traffic from Friday night.
To reduce the impact on the busy traffic in the region, the city's transport authority has expanded the capacity of nearby roads and optimized traffic lamps, according to Chai Jingwen, an officer with the city's traffic police.
Zhongchun Road, for instance, has been expanded into six lanes from four, while Laiting Road N. has had an additional vehicle lane from the previous two lanes, Chai said.
Furthermore, the Jiudu Road Toll Station of the G50 Expressway will offer free pass to vehicles for two years, starting from Friday night, during the project work.
"We will take the opportunity to further improve the traffic management and facilities in the key region," Chai stated.
The 7.2-kilometer Caobao Road Expressway – to be built after the demolition – starts from the Jiading-Minhang Elevated Highway to Caobao and Guiping roads. The new expressway is expected to relieve the pressure on the Yan'an Road W. Elevated Highway and the G50 Expressway, according to the group.
The 68.6-km airport express line, another key project to run beneath the area, is expected to shorten travel time between Hongqiao and Pudong airports to less than 40 minutes from 90 minutes on completion in 2024. The line will have nine stations across Xuhui and Minhang districts as well as the Pudong New Area.
