Longest tunnel completed on Yidu-Laifeng Expressway
2025-03-18 19:03:27
By Yan Wanqin.
The longest tunnel in the Yichang section of the Yidu-Laifeng Expressway was completed on March 15, following more than two and a half years of construction.
The longest tunnel in the Yichang section of the Yidu-Laifeng Expressway was completed on March 15, following more than two and a half years of construction.
Workers celebrate the completion of the Wufengshan Tunnel.
The Wufengshan Tunnel, part of the expressway, is located in Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County. Spanning over 8 kilometers, it is the longest highway tunnel in the Yichang section and took 954 days to complete. The tunnel traverses the challenging high-altitude Wuling Mountain area, complicating construction efforts.
Complex geological conditions presented significant challenges for constructors, who employed innovative methods for efficient, safe, precise excavation and eco-friendly construction.
They introduced advanced equipment, including multi-arm rock drilling trolleys, automatic material distribution systems, and concrete spraying robots. According to Guan Zhitao, the project lead, one machine can accomplish the workload of 20 people.
A multi-arm rock boring trolley operates inside the tunnel.
The Yilai Expressway stretches 187.7 kilometers, linking Yidu in Yichang to Laifeng County in Enshi.
The 92-kilometer Yichang section has seen an investment of 16.8 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion), with bridges and tunnels comprising about 73 percent of its length.
Currently, 92 percent of this section is complete, and the expressway is set to open to traffic in June next year.
Song Yujie and Li Zhi contributed to this story.
