Shanghai is in the midst of a major face-lift as it prepares to host the 2010 World Expo.

Nearly 60,000 billboards will be upgraded, and more construction waste stations and public toilets will be put into use, officials said.

The Shanghai Public Sanitation Bureau intends to remove as many 47,000 outdoor sign boards to drive commercial promotions out of infrastructure construction areas.

To streamline management of the system, the bureau will soon work out rules and an auction system for billboard sites.

This year the bureau will remove 41 advertising boards located on buildings of 20 stories or more within the Inner Ring Road and has started inspection on all non-commercial boards on buildings of 20 stories and higher.

The 14 ad boards located in Expo control areas will soon be removed.

Moreover, the bureau pulled out 300 advertising screens and banners along the pavements to ensure a cleaner city.

With the start of construction at Expo venues and on big traffic projects, the city will build seven to eight new sites to distribute and transport construction waste and dirt totaling 40 million tons this year.

Officials said it is necessary to build more such facilities to decrease roadway dust and dirt and control illegal dumping of construction wastes.

The city cleaned up more than 42,000 tons of construction waste and dirt that had been dumped illegally on its road in the first half of this year. As part of its crackdown, the bureau will increase the reward for tips that lead to the capture of illegal dumpers from 100 yuan (US$14.62) to 1,000 yuan in October.

Also on the agenda are 1,039 new public toilets for Expo visitors.

(Shanghai Daily September 10, 2008）