Full-line breakthrough achieved for Zhongliangshan Tunnel on the Chongqing-Wuhan Expressway duplicate line

　　On the evening of March 4, with the final blasting operation at the right-tube working face, the right tube of the Zhongliangshan Tunnel on the Chongqing-Wuhan Expressway duplicate line was successfully holed through, marking the full-width breakthrough of the Zhongliangshan Tunnel and laying a solid foundation for the completion and opening of the project to traffic.

　　The Zhongliangshan Tunnel is designed as a separated two-way six-lane tunnel with a total length of 5,310 meters, and is a key controlling project of the Chongqing-Wuhan Expressway duplicate line. The tunnel passes through unfavorable geological conditions such as shallow cover, coal-bearing strata, karst caves, underground rivers and mined-out areas, and crosses over the East Ring Railway, involving high construction safety risks and great technical difficulty.

　　According to reports, during construction the project team, through refined management and high-standard construction, promoted the standardization of working procedures and techniques, and adopted mechanized supporting operations for the tunnel, greatly improving work efficiency and project quality.

　　At the same time, an advanced geological prediction and monitoring measurement information system was set up to monitor in real time various parameters such as ventilation conditions inside the tunnel and the concentration of toxic and harmful gases including methane, effectively preventing and controlling various potential risks, which not only ensured construction safety but also strongly promoted the efficient progress of overall construction.

　　It is understood that the Beibei-Hechuan section of the Chongqing-Wuhan Expressway duplicate line has a total length of 35.5 kilometers, starting at the Caijia Interchange in Beibei on the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway and ending at Fengmu Village, Caojie Subdistrict, Hechuan District. The entire project is expected to be completed this year, which will effectively ease the traffic pressure on the existing Chongqing-Wuhan Expressway and further facilitate public travel.