On January 18, 2018, after more than five months of overcoming difficulties and 182 days of hard work, the left tube of the Wushutou Tunnel on the Huizhou-Qingyuan section of the Shanzhan Expressway was successfully holed through. As the first tunnel of the Huiqing project to be completed, it is of milestone significance. The breakthrough of the left tube of the Wushutou Tunnel has sounded the clarion call for the 2018 construction battle of the Huiqing project and achieved a "good start" for the project's 2018 construction.

The Wushutou Tunnel is located in Longmen County, Huizhou City, in the deep valleys and steep gorges of Nankun Mountain, crossing a low mountain and hilly terrain area. The tunnel has a total length of 243 m and a maximum buried depth of about 58.80 m, and is a small-clearance separated tunnel. The surrounding rock in the shallow-buried section at the tunnel portal is relatively broken, with poor strength and stability. Grade V surrounding rock accounts for 67.1% of the tunnel, making construction difficult. To ensure smooth and safe construction of the tunnel, the participating units organized construction strictly in accordance with the principles of the New Austrian Tunneling Method and formulated an overall construction plan based on the principles of "advance pipe roof, strict grouting, short advance, minimal disturbance, strong support, rapid reinforcement, early ring closure, frequent measurement, and timely lining." According to the actual conditions of the surrounding rock, and on the premise of ensuring quality and safety, they promptly adjusted construction methods and optimized the construction plan to ensure the smooth breakthrough of the left tube of the tunnel.

Travel time between Huizhou and Qingyuan to be shortened to 1.5 hours

The Huiqing project is a key construction project of Guangdong Province during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period. The overall route runs east-west, with a total length of 125.277 km. The entire line is built to a two-way, six-lane standard, with a design speed of 100 km/h and an approved estimated budget of 20.792 billion yuan. It began full-scale construction in March 2017 and is planned to be completed and opened to traffic in 2020.

According to reports, after the Huiqing project is completed and opened to traffic, the travel time between Huizhou and Qingyuan will be shortened from the original 3 hours to 1.5 hours.

Construction of the Huiqing section of the Shanzhan Expressway is progressing smoothly

The terrain and geological conditions along the Huiqing project are complex. The entire line includes 2 extra-long tunnels, 11 medium- and long-length tunnels, and 3 short tunnels, with a bridge-to-tunnel ratio as high as 48.8%. The project involves cross-construction and many potential safety hazard points. The route passes through 10 environmentally sensitive points, and the natural and social environments are complex, making construction management difficult. Guided by the 19th CPC National Congress's goal of building a strong transportation country, the Huiqing project closely focuses on the goal of building quality, technological, and green demonstration projects, implements comprehensive quality and safety management concepts, plans scientifically, and organizes meticulously, striving to create a high-quality expressway project that is "safe, environmentally friendly, comfortable, and harmonious."

At present, the project has cumulatively completed 90% of soft foundation replacement, 73.61% of excavation, and 72.48% of filling; 75.03% of bridge pile foundations, 32.85% of bridge piers and columns, 7.60% of precast beams, and 21.68% of tunnel excavation.

The construction of the Huiqing project is of far-reaching significance for improving the layout of Guangdong Province's expressway network, accelerating the development of the northern mountainous areas, promoting economic and cultural exchanges between the eastern and western parts of Guangdong Province, balancing regional economic development, and driving the tourism economy along the route.