The Tianyu Road Tunnel between North Huandao and Fengchuiluodai roads will open later this year after debugging and inspection, facilitating travel between the north and south sides of Small Hengqin Mt.

Once operational, the tunnel, running from the Stone Exposition Park in the north, will connect the International Residential, Tianmu River, and North Huandao Road areas and improve access to the planned Macao New Neighborhood west of Tianyu Road. Travel between North Huandao Road and Gang'ao Avenue will be cut to 2 minutes from the 20 it takes to go around the east-west mountain.

Tianyu Road Tunnel [Photo courtesy Guanhai App]

Zhuhai Da Heng Qin constructed the tunnel at a cost of 347 million yuan ($51 million). The tunnel consists of a 729-m (797-yd) southbound route, 725-m (793-yd) northbound roadway, and 690-m (755-yd) slow-traffic passageway.

Both openings are 9.4 m (30 ft) high and have designed speed of 40 kmph (25 mph). They are equipped with linear light stripes and enameled steel plates that are fireproof, anti-humid, durable, have low-cost maintenance, and are built to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge standards.

The slow-traffic passageway has a net height of 8 m (9 yd) and is straight with a blue dome to boost wind convection and bring coolness. One side was painted by students of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts to depict sceneries of Macao, while the other side shows some Hengqin views. It will facilitate daily travel of pedestrians and cyclists in Shangcun and Xiacun villages.

The landscape design outside the tunnel spotlights rockeries, a lotus pond with springs from the Small Hengqin Mt, and koi fish. A park will also be landscaped at the southern tunnel entrance off Fengchuiluodai Road.