On December 20, 2023, accompanied by the roar of machinery and equipment in the tunnel, and under the precise command of the commanders, the final blasting operation was completed, and the Wanggangping Tunnel of TJ7 section of the Luding-Shimian Expressway achieved single-tube breakthrough of the left line.

The Wanggangping Tunnel of TJ7 section of the Luding-Shimian Expressway, constructed by China Chemical Communications Construction Group, is located in Wanggangping Township, Shimian County, with a left-line length of 3613 m and a maximum buried depth of 712 m. The contract construction period of the project is 42 months; it officially started construction on March 1, 2021, and after 1024 days, it was holed through on December 20, 2023. As a controlling project for the phased opening of the Luding-Shimian Expressway, the breakthrough of the left tube of Wanggangping Tunnel will open up a safe passage for the subsequent construction of Xiaotianwan Tunnel and lay the foundation for the Luding-Shimian Expressway to reach the conditions for opening to traffic in 2024.

The Wanggangping Tunnel is located in an earthquake zone of intensity VIII, with frequent earthquakes throughout the year. The route passes through continuous mountains, and unfavorable geology such as karst and fissures is concentrated. The geological conditions for tunnel construction are poor, and the construction safety risk coefficient is high, with many challenges such as mud and water inrush and rockbursts. In addition, during the rainy season, the tunnel also faces secondary hazards such as debris flows and landslides, making construction difficult. Moreover, the tunnel construction access road was affected by the "9.5" Luding earthquake, and the transport routes were damaged to varying degrees, making material supply support difficult and greatly restricting construction organization.

To ensure the safe and smooth breakthrough of the tunnel, since the start of construction, the Luding-Shimian project department has always maintained the sense of responsibility of "the start is the decisive battle," advancing construction progress at high standards and with strict requirements, and carrying the concept of "high quality, speed, safety, environmental protection, ecology, and civilization" throughout the process. It has successively overcome many unfavorable factors such as frequent aftershocks, continuous slope rockfalls, harsh winter construction conditions, and difficult material transport on narrow roads, completing construction milestone tasks with high quality within the specified time and laying a solid foundation for basically completing the breakthrough in December this year. At the same time, the project department adhered to the principle of "short advance, weak blasting, strong support, less disturbance, quick sealing, and frequent measurement," promoted the use of mechanical equipment such as self-propelled hydraulic trestles, self-propelled secondary lining trolleys, fully automatic cloth-hanging trolleys, and wet spraying manipulators, implemented factory-based centralized processing of steel components such as steel arches, and used information-based means such as centralized control centers and real-name management to strictly control tunnel settlement and deformation for different surrounding rock categories, ensuring controllable safety and quality.

The Wanggangping Tunnel is located in a densely forested area with high fire prevention and environmental protection requirements. To improve construction efficiency, the project department adhered to the "three zeros" concept of zero excavation, zero discharge, and zero pollution, and through filtration and recovery facilities, reused wastewater and spoil generated during construction in other construction processes. This not only achieved zero pollution discharge but also fully "turned waste into treasure," enabling sustainable use of resources, achieving zero discharge of wastewater and waste residue, saving raw materials and water sources, and realizing a win-win outcome for ecological circulation and economic benefits.

The Luding-Shimian Expressway starts at Sanggangping in Luding County and ends at Dashanshu in Shimian County. After the project is completed and opened to traffic, it will connect Luding and Shimian Counties, which is of great significance for promoting industrial linkage between the two places, accelerating the creation of a new pattern of open development, building a "one-hour economic circle," supporting county-level economic development, and promoting rural revitalization.