It is estimated that Shanghai has 12,666 kilometers of wires within the outer-ring road, among which 5,780 kilometers hang within the inner-ring road. One of the biggest concerns is how to fund the massive clean-up.

"The whole cleanup is estimated to cost 12 billion yuan (US$1.45 billion)," said Gong Jiehua, director of the city's roads & pipelines supervisory office. "We have not yet found a reliable money supply."

Known as the black pollution, the overhead web composed of telephone and Internet lines, occupies much of the limited space, blocking people's view and damaging the image of Shanghai as a fast-progressing metropolis.

Another shortcoming of the overhead web is that it might lead to severe accidents, Gong said.

Aware of the problem, the municipality has charged the clean-up task to the Shanghai Civil Engineering Administration Bureau. A pipeline supervisor has been responsible for the specific implementation since the beginning of 2001.

As planned, no new wires should be hung overhead and by 2005, 30 percent of wire networks shall be buried underground. By 2010, the figure should reach 70 percent.

In 2001, 500 kilometers of wires were buried underground and 900 kilometers were made to look better.

This year will see 700 kilometers of wires buried.

To store the wires in the "common tunnel" is the solution that is technically applicable but investment still remains the largest obstacle, Gong said.

Currently the money comes from three parties - the administration department, local government and an allowance from the municipality, like funding for the 10-kilometre-long Gonghe Xinlu which is expected to cost 300 million yuan (US$36.3 million).

In the under-construction Anting Town a 2.4-metre diameter tunnel is being built to hide the wires.

The 200 million yuan (US$24.2 million) price tag will be funded by three sources: the housing development bureau, Jiading District government and the Hongqiao Development Zone.

"Some foreign investors have shown great interest in this project on the condition that our government will give them the right to utilize the space for business purposes," Gong said.

"However, there is not enough awareness from our government," he said. "Using others people's money to improve our infrastructure construction is the way Shanghai has developed."

(China Daily July 12, 2002)