Summary Shanghai is the most dynamic coastal city in East China. The city plans to build a vast freeway network linking Shanghai to surrounding cities of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Furthermore, a more flexible approach such as build operate and transfer mechanism has also been adopted for its infrastructure buildup. By year end, China's total length of highway open to traffic will reach 1.3 million kilometers, indicating more remote towns and villages will have access to better roads.
Expressways are a major part of the current construction plan.
By the end of 2010, seven expressways will run from the east to the west and five expressways will link the country's south and north regions. So far, China has more than 10,000 kilometers of expressway that have opened to traffic, ranking the fourth in the world in terms of length. Likewise, Shanghai announced recently that in order to alleviate gridlock and become a better place for businesses, in terms of infrastructure improvement, it will begin constructing an extensive freeway network throughout the city and into neighboring provinces. The proposed 650-kilometer freeway network will link all major downtown road to the suburbs in Shanghai, and to major cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. In addition to local government budgeted allocations, Shanghai municipality for the first time is seeking financing through new modes.