Being constructed by Sinohydro Bureau 3 Co, a subsidiary of POWERCHINA, the Ban Sen No 2 Tunnel -- the longest tunnel along the China-Laos Railway -- recently entered the track laying stage, marking the completion of the civil works of the railway.
Located in an uninhabited area between Luang Prabang and Vientiane provinces in Laos, the Ban Sen No 2 Tunnel is 9,384 meters in length. It is a controlled project on the railway.
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The Ban Sen No 2 Tunnel -- the longest tunnel along the China-Laos Railway -- enters the track laying stage. [Photo/POWERCHINA] |
The tunnel's unique location in a virgin forest deep in the mountains brought great difficulties to on-site construction and material transportation.
Since the start of construction on March 15, 2017, the project department has carefully organized assembly, strengthened building management, strictly implemented mechanization and professional management requirements to ensure high-quality and safe construction advancement.
Project management has already set one record during the construction of the Ban Sen No 2 Tunnel, having bored the 245.8-meter-long tunnel in a month.
On Dec 27, 2019, drilling for the tunnel was completed seven months ahead of schedule.
The China-Laos Railway is a strategic transportation project that will connect the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to develop into a land-linked hub. The 414.33-km railway, with 76 tunnels stretching a total of 198 km, will run from Boten, on the China-Laos border, to Vientiane. It will have an operating speed of 160 km per hour.
The electrified passenger and cargo railway is being built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards.
It is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in December 2021.
