Metro Line 18 paved up toward completion
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Paving work on the north part of phase 1 of Metro Line 18.
Qi Jiahao / Ti Gong -
Work on the rail paving on the north part of the phase 1 of Metro Line 18
Qi Jiahao / Ti Gong -
Work on the rail paving on the north part of the phase 1 of Metro Line 18
Qi Jiahao / Ti Gong -
Work on the rail paving on the north part of the phase 1 of Metro Line 18
Qi Jiahao / Ti Gong
Paving on phase 1 of Metro Line 18 was completed on Monday, with the line expected to be fully open by the end of the year, Shanghai Metro said on Wednesday.
The 36.8-kilometer, 26-station line begins at Changjiang Road S. in the north and runs through Baoshan and Yangpu districts and the Pudong New Area. The first eight stations in the south — from Yuqiao to Hangtou — are already open.
The final rail block was laid at Jiangpu Road Station on Monday, an interchange station with Line 8.
In the meantime, with the last rectifier transformer connected to electricity, the entire part of the Line 18 under construction has got electricity.
Construction on the line will follow with tests of the contact system, communication signals and the entire system and test runs of trains after completion of the rail paving work, the company said.
Earlier this year, the main structures of all stations under construction in phase 1 of Line 18 were fitted with roofs.
Work on the Jiangpu Road Station has been difficult because Line 8 also runs through it, and there's a complex maze of underground pipes and wires surrounding the station.
To ensure safety, 700 pipes were inserted in the soil using small machines, robots and manual labor. The first pipe was inserted last January, and 8,200 cubic meters of soil have been excavated since then.
It's the first time the method — known as the "freezing method" — has been used during subway construction in China.
The operation of Line 8 was not affected during construction.
Line 18 passes through Fudan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and the Longyang Road transport hub. It interchanges with 12 other Metro lines.
The line is expected to boost the traffic connections and further development of Wujiaochang commercial hub in Yangpu District and densely populated Hangtou in south Pudong. It will also be a new link across the Huangpu River.
