Workers make up for lost time on construction of express line between airports
Construction workers dig a shield well on Meifu Road in Minhang District for the western section of the express line to connect Hongqiao and Pudong airports.
Construction is in full swing during the Labor Day holiday on the express Metro line which will connect the city’s two airports to make up for time lost during the coronavirus outbreak.
Construction workers are digging a shield well on Meifu Road in Minhang District for the western section of the express line which will connect Hongqiao and Pudong airports.
The 128-meter-long and 30-meter-deep working well will be finished by the end of May, according to the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. This will enable two shield machines with a diameter of 14.07 meters to dig east and west.
The 68.6-kilometer express line is expected to shorten the traveling time between the two airports to less than 40 minutes upon its completion in 2024. The line will have nine stations across Xuhui and Minhang districts as well as the Pudong New Area.
It will run through the Hongqiao transport hub, Qibao historical town, Huajing Town, Sanlin Town, Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, Shanghai International Resort, Pudong International Airport as well as the planned new terminal building of the Pudong airport and Shanghai East Railway Station.
Currently, passengers can take Metro Line 2 or an airport bus between the two airports. This takes between 70 and 90 minutes, depending on whether commuters use the Maglev in addition to the Metro.
Construction started on the project in June 2019, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 200 workers are working on the Meifu Road site during the holiday to catch up lost time. They have been in quarantine, and also have their temperatures checked before starting work.
The mobile shelter to protect workers.
A mobile shelter has been built on the site to protect workers from scorching sunshine or rain. Steel reinforcement cages are being built under the shelter for worker safety.
After the completion of the working well, one of the shields will dig towards Qingchun Road for about 5.6 kilometers, while the other will dig eastward to Huajing Town in Xuhui District for about 2.2 kilometers. It will then dig through Huangpu River to the Pudong New Area.
As one of China’s first batch of 11 demonstration city railways approved by China’s development and reform commission, the nation’s top planning body, the express line will be able to connect with the nation’s railway system and the intercity transport network of the Yangtze River Delta region in the future.
The express line will not only benefit transit passengers at both airports, but also make it more convenient for citizens to travel around the city. It will further improve the pivotal and service functions of both airports to the Yangtze River Delta region, according to the city government.
The line will also improve the city’s business environment, enhance Shanghai’s core competences and strongly support the national strategy of integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, the city government said.
Based on the standards of the nation’s railway system, the line’s designed speed will be 160 kilometers per hour. About 88 percent of the project will run underground. Above ground, travel will be on elevated rails.
Construction workers dig a shield well on Meifu Road in Minhang District.
