Earth excavation for the Jiangjun Mt Tunnel in the Hezhou Integrated Area is moving forward despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 85 percent of the tunneling completed and the entire project to be operational in June 2023.

The south-north dual six-lane tunnel connects Nanqin Road in the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone and Nanping Sci-Tech Industrial Park. Being part of Zhuhai's "Six Horizontal & Ten Vertical" road network, the tunnel will help create a third passage for motorists running between downtown Zhuhai and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Construction site [Photo by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]

The length of the tunnel's two lanes is 7,380 m (8,071 yd), of which 6,250 m (6,835 yd) has been evacuated, with the area of its largest excavated section standing at 258 sq m (.06 acres), which is larger than half a basketball court.

Wang Feng, project head of the tunnel's constructor China Railway 18 Bureau Group, said that the tunnel's left lane will be connected in the end of this month and that the other lane will see ends meet by July. Final touches, such as road traffic safety facilities and mechanical and electrical installation, will be finished by the end of the year. 

Officials of Hezhou's preparatory group have paid visits to the tunnel's construction site. They learned about the difficulties that the constructor has been facing in resuming operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and offered solid support. 

To ensure the high-quality completion of key projects, Hezhou is now soliciting public opinions on its new document with 10 preferential policies, which makes it possible for companies to start construction right after getting land use permits. Eligible enterprises are able to receive a reward of up to 10 million yuan ($2 million).

Forty-five major and 10 new projects are arranged for construction in Hezhou, with estimated annual investment of 9.9 billion yuan ($1.6 billion). Five of them, such as Power China's Zhuhai Building and Zhenye Technology Building, have started construction in the first quarter of the year, while a batch of transportation projects have entered the final stage of preliminary work, including the Shizimen and Jiangjun Mt tunnels, Nanwan Avenue, as well as South Lovers Avenue.