Spanning a length of approximately 10.7 kilometres, the longest underwater highway tunnel in China has opened to vehicle traffic from both directions. Nearly four years went into the construction of the structure, which also features colourful LED lights to prevent fatigue in drivers. By Eshita Srinivas
Jiangsu Province officials recently announced that China’s longest underwater tunnel, located beneath lake Taihu, has opened to vehicle traffic. Construction on the tunnel first began in January 2018 and has cost INR 1,16,07,33,60,000. Located in China’s Jiangsu Province, about 50 kilometres east of Shanghai, the structure is meant to alleviate traffic pressure, according to a report by the United Press International.
The Taihu underwater tunnel in China is a part of the Changzhou-Wuxi highway
#ChinaMegaInfrastructure on the move! The Taihu tunnel, China’s longest underwater highway tunnel, just opened to traffic in China’s Jiangsu Province. The near 11-kilo long tunnel runs under Taihu Lake, China’s third-largest freshwater lake. #HighWay #tunnel pic.twitter.com/6lPWa0JE5D
— Zhang Meifang张美芳 (@CGMeifangZhang) December 31, 2021
A part of the 43.9 kilometre Changzhou-Wuxi highway, which opened to the public in December, 2021, the Taihu tunnel acts as an alternate route for those travelling between Shanghai and Nanjing. It also connects the expressways of Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou and, in doing so, eases the traffic pressure on the cities that sit right next to the lake, while also promoting their economic development, according to a report by CNN news.
The tunnel is approximately 57 feet wide and consists of six lanes of traffic. The ceiling, meanwhile, is fitted with colourful LED lights which will ease fatigue in drivers on the passage and promote their safety. Over 20 lakh metres of concrete went into building the structure. In addition to this, the construction team is believed to have used automatic steel processing equipment and intelligent systems that ensured zero discharge of sewage and dust, according to a report by Global Times.
Although this is China’s longest underwater highway tunnel, the longest in the world is in Norway. Named the Ryfast tunnel, the structure connects the cities of Stavanger and Strand and spans a length of approximately 14 kilometres. The longest tunnel in general is the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France by rail and runs 37.9 kilometres long.
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