Hongkou District's sightseeing platform along Huangpu River is due to be completed by the end of this month — offering visitors a panoramic view of the Bund, and on the opposite side of the river, the Lujiazui financial district.
The 150-meter-long platform is sited in front of the Seagull on the Bund hotel, North Bund, near Waibaidu Bridge. The platform connects the pedestrian routes of the Bund in Huangpu District, with the North Bund, Hongkou — both on the west side of the river.
People will be able to walk from the Bund to the North Bund via Waibaidu Bridge and the 1,900 square meter platform, an official with the government said yesterday. The platform is about 20 meters wide and 3.5 meters above the riverbank. The area was formerly occupied by some illegal structures that have long interrupted the riverside pedestrian way in Hongkou. An outdoor restaurant of the hotel was demolished for the construction of the platform.
"The construction company tried to avoid mass demolition work on illegal buildings along the riverside to protect the river from being polluted by construction waste," said an official with Zhonghong construction group, which is in charge of the building project.
For instance, the ground floor of a two-story illegal building was kept in place to become part of the foundation structure of the new platform, the official said. The company demolished buildings and built the new platform within two months, the official added.
The platform will be decorated in the same style as the Bund's sightseeing platform area. The grey color marble floor, iron handrails and lamps will be similar to ensure a coherent style for the Huangpu riverside, according to the district government.
Wooden seats will be installed and flowers planted on the platform.
The Hongkou sightseeing path, which is expected to be open to joggers and cyclists soon, will run 3.2 kilometers along the river from the North Bund area to Sichuan Road N. and will feature gardens and skywalks along the way.
More than 85 percent of the pathway's construction on the pathway has been completed, the district government said. It is part of the city government's plan to open a total of 45km of uninterrupted pedestrian paths between Yangpu and Xupu bridges by the end of the year.
