Shanghai's century-old bridge to be renovated ahead of World Expo

SHANGHAI, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- A century-old steel bridge in Shanghai will be closed on Saturday for renovation ahead of the 2010 World Expo, according to the city's renovation plan.

The Waibaidu Bridge, built in 1907 and one of China's oldest steel bridges, will be disassembled and rebuilt to restore the graphic waterfront of the metropolis, under the plan of the Bund Refurbishment Project.

Traffic will be diverted to neighboring expressways and bridges.

Workers will start removing electricity and cable wires that run through the bridge before lifting and pulling out the steel girders with a barge. They will remove dust and repair damaged parts of the steel structure.

The bridge abutments will be dismantled for complete rebuilding. The restored bridge will be back in place around March2009, the plan said.

The Waibaidu, translating to "outer free ferry-crossing," has been one of the city's major bridges, linking the downtown and the eastern part of the city. It spans more than 100 meters.