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SHANGHAI - A decade ago, ADB helped build Shanghai's first bridges across the Huangpu River to spark the development of Pudong.

But Pudong's growth soared beyond expectations, and although several transport links have been added, strong demand exists for more.

A Pudong Development Authority - PDA - official estimates that eventually a total of 20 links will be needed for "balanced growth" between Pudong and downtown Shanghai.

When the showcase Nanpu and Yangpu bridges were completed, they were a source of pride for Shanghai-and the entire PRC. When then Prime Minister Li Peng inaugurated the bridge in 1991, and Premier Deng Xiaopeng wrote the calligraphy, Nanpu was by far the longest cable-stayed bridge in the PRC, with a center span of 423 meters.

Yangpu, opened in 1993, had an even longer center span of 602 meters, setting a world record at the time. The world-class bridges, designed by Shanghai engineers and built by local contractors, were partially financed by ADB loans totaling $155 million.

Before the bridges, vehicles used either a slow ferry or one of two congested tunnels to reach Pudong, a sprawling undeveloped area nearly the size of Singapore.

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With the opening of the Nanpu bridge, traffic grew dramatically. Some 12,000 vehicles per day crossed the toll bridge the first month, rising to 17,000 the following month.

Today, Nanpu's daily traffic averages 120,000 vehicles, close to capacity. Yangpu handles 100,000 vehicle crossings a day, including most of the trucks.

A third bridge, the Xupu, opened in 1996, carries 70,000 vehicles daily. Three tunnels-two of which are one-way-under the Huangpu River see 120,000 vehicles pass through every day. In addition to the vehicular flow, tens of thousands of commuters use a subway link that opened in 2000.

The Nanpu and Yangpu bridges, painted white and red, respectively, to mark the new millennium, have been "very successful projects," says Chen Jian Hua, Manager of the Shanghai Huangpu River Tunnels and Bridges Development Company. "We had estimated a daily flow of 50,000 vehicles for Nanpu, for example, but today we are getting more than double that."

The larger-than-expected volumes caused such long queues at the tollgates of the bridges and tunnels that the system was scrapped in 2000 and replaced with an annual tax on city drivers. High use of the bridges requires maintenance costing between 4 million yuan (Y) ($495,000) and Y5 million ($620,00) a year per bridge, notes Chen.

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The bridges also represented a significant technological triumph for Shanghai. Their cables are made of high-strength materials. Computers were used to calculate the complex stresses involved. Nanpu was designed by the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute, using the Alexander Fraser bridge in Vancouver as a model.

ADB provided technical assistance by bringing an international group of world-class engineers to review the design. The Chinese learned quickly, and they built Yangpu on their own.

An eminent German bridge engineer noted at the time, "For a developing country to design and construct a world-record cable-stayed bridge is like winning half a dozen gold medals in the Olympics." Today, Shanghai designs all its bridges and tunnels, benefiting from home-grown talent produced by Tongji University, famous for its architecture and engineering school.

Pudong has more than borne out the prediction that it would be the "dragon's head that would pull the body of the Yangtze River delta," as one PDA official said in 1992.

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Shanghai's annual gross domestic product - GDP - growth has been about 10%, but Pudong's GDP growth has averaged a staggering 20% per annum, says Hua Xinxiang, PDA's Deputy Director of the Press and Information Office.

Pudong's GDP has increased 18 times from Y6 billion ($740 million) in 1990 to Y108 billion ($13.3 billion) in 2001, far exceeding earlier forecasts.

In a few hectic years, Pudong has transformed itself from a largely agricultural area into a major financial center as well as a manufacturing and trading hub.

"We have 59 foreign companies here that are engaged in banking and finance, securities or insurance," says Mr. Hua. He adds, however, that Shanghai still has to catch up with Hong Kong, China, which has more than 400 such institutions.

On the manufacturing side, Pudong has targeted "clean" industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and information communication and technology.

Pudong is aggressively pursuing foreign investors, but it has been sheltered from the global slowdown by the PRC's booming domestic market, notes Hua.

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With the PRC's entry into the World Trade Organization, Hua believes that Pudong will maintain its rapid growth for some years to come. GDP is forecast to reach Y200 billion ($25 billion) by 2005, especially if transport and other infrastructure development continue.

More than 400,000 vehicles are crossing the bridges and tunnels daily, excluding the people using the subway. To cope with still-rising demand, Hua says that another bridge, three more tunnels, and two new rail links are planned within the next 5 years.

Besides being a fast-expanding workplace, Pudong is becoming more attractive as a residential place. Its daytime population is 2.4 million, consisting of 1.6 million residents and 800,000 commuters. But as housing and shopping and recreational facilities develop, many commuters are turning into residents.

Mr. Hua and other PDA staff reflect this trend. He began using Nanpu after it opened, greatly reducing his travel time. In 1997, he moved his family to Pudong, induced by the attractive housing and living conditions. He says many PDA staffers have done the same.

Mrs. Hua provides evidence of Pudong's quality of life. "In the beginning, she did not like Pudong, because it was not convenient for shopping," Mr. Hua says. "But now she says you don't need to go to Shanghai to shop, and it's much less congested here."

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