Hengqin underwater tunnel ready to open in October

The first submerged tunnel within the bounds of Zhuhai will open to traffic in October when final facilities are added, according to the builder, Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Investment.

The Maliuzhou Tunnel project of six lanes runs 2,834 m (1.7 miles), including under the Maliuzhou Waterway, along a proposed Baozhong Road to Nanwan Avenue in Wanzai. The feeder starts at Central Hengqin Avenue and extends northward to traverse North Ring Road (N Huandao Ave). From the Wanzai side, the route runs under Gongbei to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. 

Rendering of Maliuzhou Tunnel [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

The first-of-its-kind project in Zhuhai saw shield tunnel construction methods applied in difficult compound strata. The drilling process involved a super-diameter machine, a pioneering approach.

The tunnel is a passenger-vehicle-only channel used to alleviate traffic flow within Hengqin Island, and will be the third paved connection to the New Area from downtown Zhuhai joining the Hengqin and Second Hengqin bridges.

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