On May 30, the first shield-driven section of Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 crossing the Yangtze River was successfully completed, nearly four months ahead of the overall construction schedule. The early breakthrough of the tunnel has laid a solid foundation for the full completion and opening of Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12.

Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 is approximately 59.9 kilometers long and is the "longest in Asia and second longest in the world" metro loop line. The tunnel completed this time is 3,373.667 meters long, with a maximum burial depth of 51.7 meters below the bottom of the Yangtze River and a maximum water pressure of 0.5 MPa. The tunnel was excavated using a large-diameter slurry shield machine with a diameter of 12.56 meters, named "Jiangcheng Pioneer." This is the first time in the history of Wuhan metro construction that a domestically produced large-diameter shield machine has been used to bore beneath the Yangtze River.

The geological conditions beneath the riverbed are complex. The highly cohesive strata such as mudstone, which are widely recognized in the industry as difficult to excavate, total approximately 2,200 meters in length. According to estimates, the project achieved an average excavation efficiency of nearly 10 meters per day in the mudstone strata, reaching a leading level in the industry. This also confirms that China's shield equipment manufacturing and shield engineering capabilities have reached internationally advanced levels.

After Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 is completed and opened to traffic, it will connect seven central urban districts of Wuhan and provide transfers with 26 stations on 18 metro lines in Wuhan. It will drive the coordinated development of surrounding districts and counties through the development of Wuhan's main urban area, injecting new momentum into the enhancement of Wuhan's comprehensive economic development.