The world's largest tunnel-bridge structure, linking Shanghai to two of its major islands with an expressway for the first time, will be open to traffic at the end of this month.

Currently, the only way to travel to the two islands is by ferry.

The Yangtze River Tunnel-Bridge will shorten travel to Changxing Island, northeast of the Shanghai mainland, from about 30 minutes to 10. Travel from Changxing to Chongming Island will take 20 minutes instead of one hour, according to Huang Rong, director of the city's construction commission.

Also, the expressway will enable travel in bad weather, when ferries are suspended.

After the expressway opens on October 31, a ride from downtown to Chongming Island will be halved to a little more than one hour, Huang said.

And with a bridge being constructed to connect Chongming Island to Qidong, Jiangsu Province, the tunnel-bridge will eventually serve as a fast link to the northern part of Jiangsu.

"Workers are applying the final system test and operation maintenance," Huang said.

The project connects Wuhaogou in Pudong New Area district to Changxing Island with a 8.9-km tunnel and Changxing under the river and Chongming islands with a 10.3-km bridge.

The projects cost more than 12.6 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion), and are expected to boost the development of the islands, create space for Shanghai's future development and provide closer link with the Yangtze River Delta region.

"The islands, though a part of Shanghai, have been lagging far behind the city's fast development because of inconvenient transport," said Huang Wednesday.

In 2008, the average disposable income of a Shanghai urban resident was 26,690 yuan. For the rural region, that figure was 11,400 yuan. In Chongming, it was 10,380 yuan.

Changxing Island will concentrate on developing ship and port machinery manufacturing.

Chongming Island will be developed into an ecologically friendly city with low carbon discharge and maximum recycling of energy, exploring a sustainable development for Shanghai.

And Hengsha Island, east to Changxing Island, will focus on tourism.

Zhao Qi, director of Chongming county, including the three islands, said the tunnel-bridge work will not threaten the islands' clean environment. Most of the islands still have plenty of farmland and green space.

"We have been closing high-polluting factories to lower the pollution," Zhao said.

"And we will develop properties only in designated regions, so that it won't affect the environment."

(China Daily October 15, 2009)