Digging done on underwater tunnel lane
Digging work on one lane of the first tunnel in Shanghai to run beneath both the Huangpu River and the Yangtze River was completed yesterday, and digging on the second lane is expected to finish in the next two months, according to traffic authorities and the project’s contractor.
The 6.5-kilometer-long tunnel is part of the A30 highway, also known as the fourth-ring road. It starts from Mudanjiang Road in Baoshan District and connects with the Outer Ring Road in the Pudong New Area.
According to city officials, the tunnel’s construction was complicated as it runs under structures such as the century-old Wusong levee and the piling area of Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.
After the river-crossing tunnel is completed, the A30 highway will be the longest loop highway in the city, covering a total length of 189 kilometers.
The new tunnel aims at easing traffic pressure on the Outer Ring Road, a road often congested by load-carrying commercial trucks.
The tunnel is expected to accept vehicle traffic next year, according to the contractor.