At 8:28 on May 1, as the "Hero" shield tunneling machine completed the 411th ring of excavation, the Tianxiang Avenue Tunnel of the Nanchang-Jiujiang High-Speed Railway, constructed and managed by the Changjiu Intercity Railway Company and built by China Railway 14th Bureau Group Corporation, successfully passed beneath a branch of Yaohu Lake, marking that the shield tunneling construction has crossed a **major risk source and bringing the "Hero" one step closer to a smooth "landing."

Completed tunnel (photo by Yang Lin and Kan Xue)

According to reports, the Tianxiang Avenue Tunnel is a controlling project of the entire Nanchang-Jiujiang High-Speed Railway line. With a total length of 6.379 kilometers, it is currently the shield tunnel with the largest diameter under formal excavation construction for a high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour in China. The shield-driven section is 4.4 kilometers long, and the outer diameter of the shield segment is 14.3 meters. The tunnel will pass through 78 risk sources, including a branch of Yaohu Lake, the Olympic Sports Center, and the Olympic Sports Center Station of Nanchang Metro Line 1. The construction involves high risks and many difficulties, and the Yaohu Lake branch crossed this time is one of the largest risk sources.

According to Xia Xiaoren, commander of the Changjiu Command of the Changjiu Intercity Railway Company, after the Nanchang-Jiujiang High-Speed Railway is completed and opened to traffic, it will be of great significance for building an integrated comprehensive transportation system for Nanchang-Jiujiang integration, supporting the implementation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt development strategy, and promoting high-quality economic and social development along the line. By then, the Beijing-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway corridor will be fully connected, and the entire route from Beijing via Hefei and Nanchang to Shenzhen (Hong Kong) will be served by high-speed rail.