Leaders in China's economic powerhouse
Shanghai say the city is ready to host the 2010 World Expo and receive the expected 70 million visitors if China wins the bid.
City Mayor Chen Liangyu has promised US$2.5 billion in direct investment for the project to fund related infrastructure construction for transportation, communications, water supply, commercial facilities and old urban area renovation.
Shanghai has a highly efficient transportation network with plans for expansion in the near future.
The two airports in the city have 49 international routes and 73 domestic routes. The second runway at Pudong International Airport is also under construction. By 2010, the airport is expected to handle 50 million passengers a year.
As the largest port in China,
Shanghai is connected with more than 400 ports in over 160 countries and regions.
Shanghai will become one of the most important international shipping hubs in the world, as the construction of Yangshan Port continues. The city will be able to handle huge amounts of cargo from countries for the Expo.
The
Shanghai Railway Station is also pivotal in the country's railway network. The city will soon complete its second railway station and has invested 20 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion) in building eight more railways to construct a network in East China.
Another railroad is also set to be laid down to link
Shanghai with Beijing. By 2010, the railway is expected to transport 44 million passengers a year.
The current 91 kilometres of expressway will also be extended, with an investment of 40 billion yuan (US$4.84 billion), to 659 kilometres to connect parts of the city with each other and
Shanghai to neighbouring regions such as East China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.
The efficient network of expressways could deliver people from neighbouring provinces to Expo venues in less than 2.5 hours,
Shanghai leaders said.
"The transportation in the city will not be a problem, however right now, people do complain about traffic jams," said Liu Guilin, director of the
Shanghai Municipal Transportation Administration.
Liu said the city's current traffic problems come mainly from all the construction now taking place in Shanghai.
The city's subway will also be extended from the current three lines that total 65 kilometres to 15 lines totalling 400 kilometres. "The daily capacity will be raised from 800,000 passengers to 5 million," Liu said. "We have given full consideration in transportation plans for areas near potential Expo venues, with the goal of delivering 600,000 Expo visitors daily."
Shanghai is also setting aside 540 hectares between the Nanpu Bridge and the under-construction Lupu Bridge along the Huangpu River, with about 80 per cent in the city's Pudong area and 20 per cent in the Puxi area.
Six bridges and six tunnels will also be built to cross the river.
It is estimated that during peak hours, there could be at least 55,000 people moving into Expo venues each hour. They can be moved by three lines of ferry boats which can handle 62,500 people each hour.
A metro line on each side of the river will also be built to ease cross-river traffic.
If traffic builds while crossing the river, cars can be diverted to other tunnels and bridges, Liu added.
Fuxing Lu Tunnel, Yan'an Lu Tunnel and the Xupu Bridge have a combined capacity for 270,000 people to pass through each day.
The city has also planned to build a trolley bus line along either bank of the river. Meanwhile, 18 bus routes connect visitors easily with venues or expressways to reach airports and the railway station.
City plans call for the Expo to occupy 400 hectares where 310 hectares will be for an enclosed area, 70 hectares for parking and mass transportation, and 30 hectares for an Expo village that can host 6,000 exposition participants.
"It will be very enjoyable to visit the site as it will be spacious and beautiful with a garden, public squares, parks and clear and clean waters," said Yu Sijia, chief of the urban planning department.
The ellipse-shape enclosed area where most of the exposition halls will be located will also have a canal which links the two banks of the river. Visitors can take ferries to move across the river.
A "flower" bridge made of two connected bridges will contain different flowers and be used as an esplanade open to foot passengers, bicyclists and roller skaters.
Handicap facilities will also be available to aid disabled visitors in getting around.
Ramps will be added at the entrance and exit of all public venues, handicap parking places will be set up, special paths for the blind will be made on the pavement and in the square, and toilets with handrails will be added, among other things.
