At the right-line construction site of the Quan—Qian shield-driven section, Section 07 of Dalian Metro Line 5, Fu Zhaoxing, deputy general manager of China Railway Dalian Metro Line 5 Co., Ltd., said that right beneath their feet, Dalian Metro's first shield machine had completed its hoisting and lowering into the shaft and was undergoing commissioning, and would officially launch in March this year.

　　The reporter saw that the large machine with a huge white metal steel frame was the remaining split section of Dalian Metro's first shield machine——the “Dalian.” In 2018, Dalian Metro Line 5 ushers in a “major year for main structure construction,” with construction targets of completing 3 billion yuan in investment, achieving a 100% construction start rate, capping the main structures of 4 stations (Suoyuwan South Station, Suoyuwan Station, Shanhuajie Station, and Phase I of Zhonghua Road Station), launching 13 shield machines, and achieving single-line breakthrough in two shield-driven sections (the left line of the Gan—Shan section and the right line of the Quan—Qian section).

　　Fu Zhaoxing told the reporter that at present, among the 25 work sites along the entire line, the hoarding completion rate is 80% and the construction start rate is 68%. Among them, 17 work sites have started construction: the Qihu section shaft, Hutan New District Station, Qingyun Street Station, Shikui Road Station, Railway Station, Suoyuwan South Station, Suoyuwan Station, the Suo—Gan open-cut section, Ganjingzi Station, Shanhuajie Station, Zhonghua Road Station, Quanshui East Station, the Quan—Qian shield launching shaft, Qianyuan Station, Houyan Station, Houguan Village Station, and the Houguan Village Depot (including 11 open-cut stations, 1 mined station, 3 open-cut sections, 1 mined section, and 1 depot). Along the entire line, 2 shafts have begun construction of the main structure (the Qihu section and the Quan—Qian section), and 6 stations and 2 open-cut sections have begun earthwork and rock excavation (Suoyuwan South Station, Suoyuwan Station, Shanhuajie Station, Zhonghua Road Station, Quanshui East Station, Houguan Village Station, the Suo—Suo section, and the Suo—Gan section). The shield machine in the Quan—Qian section has completed hoisting and lowering into the shaft and is undergoing commissioning. Three work sites——Taoyuan Station, Laodong Park Station, and the control center——are under hoarding and temporary facility construction; among them, Taoyuan Station and Laodong Park Station have completed greenery relocation and are carrying out pipeline relocation construction. As of January 17, more than 1,050 management personnel and frontline workers had entered the sites, along with 154 large machines. A cumulative investment of 2.012 billion yuan has been completed.

　　Ma Yunlong, chief shield engineer of Section 07 of Dalian Metro Line 5, disclosed that because the shield machine is 85 meters long while the shield shaft is 45 meters long, a split-launch method will be adopted to save construction time. This method can save more than two months of construction time. The use of the shield machine offers advantages such as construction safety, higher efficiency, and minimal impact on ground settlement. This is the first time such a shield machine has been used in Dalian Metro; it has been named the “Dalian” and will officially launch in March. The first tunnel (Quanshui East Station—Qianyuan Station) is expected to break through in August.

　　The reporter followed Ma Yulong to the shield launching shaft of the Quan—Qian section, located 14 meters underground. Pointing to the cutterhead and No. 1 trolley 11 meters below, Ma Yulong told the reporter that from April to the end of December 2019, the “Dalian” completed construction, assembly, acceptance, and lowering into the shaft. At present, the “Dalian” is undergoing assembly and commissioning and is expected to carry out tunneling operations in March.