Road works on new roads may be banned for three years after construction, according to a draft of an infrastructure law.

The law, called the Shanghai Road and Bridge Management Law, is under discussion by the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress - the city's top legislative body.

It comes when city motorists have become so frustrated with delays caused by road works that they have nicknamed some roads "zip roads" because they were being opened up so often that it was as if they had a zipper on them.

The law covers construction work such as the laying of gas and water pipes and cables and road-widening measures.

"The new law aims to solve the outstanding problems as the city quickens its infrastructure development," said Li Zhiqiang, a committee member in charge of urban construction.

Any construction company who disobeys the rule will be asked to stop construction immediately and could face a penalty of up to 20,000 yuan (US$2,499).

Even with the endorsement of the government, road constructors have to strictly control noise and air pollution, avoid rush hour and raise traffic signs to warn pedestrians and drivers, the draft states.

The draft is expected to be discussed for the next two months before it is voted on.

In recent years, the inconvenience caused by road-related construction has been a major complaint among residents, officials said.

Huang Jianjun, a resident who lives near Sichuan Road, said: "The road is always under construction, causing pollution and inconvenience."

Traffic experts say the main reason for repeated road construction is that the city government does not have an overall coordination and road information system.

That leads to the frequent digging up of road surfaces by different infrastructure teams putting down gas pipes, water pipes and various cables.

The city's infrastructure management authority is considering the setting up of a collective task force to deal with road renovation.

The task force would be able to conduct several works simultaneously while only carrying out construction on road surfaces once.

(Shanghai Daily June 27, 2006)