The Dapu Tunnel in Shanghai will be closed on 10 July for major reconstruction. The 2.7km-long tunnel, built in 1965, connects the east and west banks of Huangpu River that divides the city.

The tunnel lies at the heart of the Shanghai 2010 Expo complex. Reconstruction is expected to end next March before the opening of the Expo on 1 May.

It was initially designed with an hourly traffic flow of 670 vehicles, which rose to 2,587 vehicles an hour after two subsequent renovations. The forthcoming reconstruction project will transform it from a two-way tunnel to an east-to-west, one-way tunnel. Dapu, together with a second tunnel being built 12 meters to its west, will form a four-lane two-way transportation system.