THE city plans to build a 120-kilometer long “greenway” along the Outer Ring Road by 2020 for residents to enjoy casual walk or ride bicycles.

The 500-meter wide green belt on the outer side of the ring road will include a 100-meter wide forest area and 400-meter wide garden with trees and shrubs, the Shanghai Greenery and Sanitation Administration Bureau said. “The forest belt surrounding the city can also serve as a barrier against air pollution,” said Li Wei, a bureau official.

Some green belts have been built along the Outer Ring Road or A20 since 1995 when the government decided to improve the city’s ecological environment. Some 35.6 square kilometers, or about 98 kilometers, of green belts have been built along the road, Li said. They will be linked with the greenway project.