China on Sunday started to build its largest underwater tunnel to cross the Yellow River in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, which will facilitate the city's connectivity between parts on both sides of the river.
As one of the major channels connecting the north and south sides of the Yellow River, the tunnel is about 5,755 meters long, with about 3,290-meter section of the tunnel having to be excavated by a tunneling shield with a diameter of 17.5 meters.
"The length of the tunneling shield is equivalent to 16 buses connected end to end. The weight of the machine is comparable to that of 520 adult elephants, making it the largest among tunneling machines used in projects worldwide," said Huang Lu, person in charge of the tunneling shield of the tunnel project under China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
The tunnel comprises two levels, with three lanes in each level leading in different directions, and a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. As the first single-tube double-deck tunnel cross the Yellow River, it saves urban underground space.
"The tunnel is expected to be completed in 16 months. The project will meet the requirements for the passage of buses, fire engines, maintenance and rescue vehicles," said Zhou Xiang, person in charge of the project of China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
Upon its completion, it will boost the connectivity between the main urban area of Jinan on both sides of the Yellow River, and provide strong support for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.
China starts to build largest underwater tunnel to cross Yellow River
