CHANGNING District will build or renovate nine pedestrian bridges to connect a 5.5 kilometer section of the district’s Outer Ring Road Greenbelt, the government said yesterday.

It is part of the city government’s plan to build 112 kilometers of greenway along the Outer Ring Road. The project, comprising cycle paths, jogging lanes and walkways, following the route of the Outer Ring Road is scheduled to be finished by 2020.

The section covers about 492,800 square meters. The 100-meter-wide greenway between Suzhou Creek and the Hongqiao International Airport is closed to the public. About 10 rivers run through the section.

The district government is building pedestrian paths, bridges and tunnels to turn the area into an park for recreation and exercise.

No vehicles will be allowed into the greenway.

Shrubs and flowers are being planted to create and colorful trees such as ginkgo will be added to the existing forest to present a mix of red, gold and yellow. Some water plants are also planned for the waterways.

As a highlight, nine distinctive bridges of wood or steel are being built. Other bridges are being renovated.

The new bridges, named by numbers — from 1 to 9, are designed to blench in with the environment.

The northernmost bridge, Number 1, near Suzhou Creek, will span the Lianjinggang River. The 400-meter No. 3 Bridge will connect to a sports park on the west of the greenway.

The nearby wooden No. 4 Bridge will be ideal for visitors to enjoy the riverside scenery, the government says. The first phase of the project will be completed by the end of October while the second phase will be finished in 2018.

City-wide, the whole Outer Ring Road Greenbelt will connect seven districts — the Pudong New Area, and Baoshan, Jiading, Minhang, Xuhui, Changning and Putuo. Pudong will account for more than half.