It's hard to believe that just 30 meters below, a six-lane highway is quietly running under the same river. This road was built in just 110 days.

Across Europe, projects such as the London Thames Tideway Tunnel, which aims to modernize a 150-year-old sewer system, and the Brenner Base Tunnel, the world's longest underground railway tunnel connecting Austria and Italy, are pushing the boundaries of engineering and durability.

But China's achievement beneath the Yellow River is not just another milestone; it exceeds expectations. In less than four months, engineers completed a massive project that broke global precedents.

Why the Jinan Huanggang Tunnel Was Needed

Jinan faced trouble. The Yellow River divided the city in two, making daily commutes take hours of traffic jams. People relied on ferries, but they were slow, unstable, and often dangerous in bad weather. Emergency services were paralyzed. Businesses suffered. The city couldn't grow.

China had to act quickly. So, they completed an unprecedented engineering feat, finishing a project of such scale, under such conditions, in such a short time. They promised to build a 5.7-kilometer-long highway tunnel under the Yellow River, one of the most unpredictable and silt-laden rivers in the world.

The Clock Was Ticking

From the start, the mission was clear: build fast, build safely, make no mistakes. Engineers faced immense pressure, both symbolic and real. A small mistake could flood the tunnel, endanger lives, and waste billions of dollars. Yet, they didn't back down, committing to completing the tunnel in 110 days—a near-impossible task for such a complex tunnel.

But they didn't cut corners. They pushed engineering technology to its limits, using technology and precision as their strongest allies.

Meet the Beast: The Shanhe Shield Tunnel Boring Machine

The entire tunnel was excavated by one of the most advanced tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the world—the Shanhe Shield. This was not a typical excavation project. This TBM weighs over 5,000 tons and is about the size of a small naval destroyer.

The 17.5-meter "Shanhe" shield machine is fully prepared to enter the site for construction.

Its extraordinary feature is its dual function: excavation and construction happen simultaneously. As it passes through the strata, it installs precast concrete segments behind itself and locks them in place like a rotating assembly line. This ensures the tunnel is structurally sound at every step, minimizing delays and eliminating the need for separate construction phases.

It never stopped. The Shanhe Shield machine worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, beneath the world's river with the highest sediment content.

A Tunnel Twice as Big as the Channel Tunnel

The Jinan Huanggang Tunnel is 5.7 kilometers long and has a diameter of up to 17.5 meters, more than twice the size of the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France. But this is not just about length or diameter.

The tunnel is divided into two levels, each with three lanes. The double-level design is intended to relieve traffic congestion during peak hours and reduce the time to cross the river from nearly an hour to just five minutes. This has a huge impact on daily life.

Every Layer Is Safe

The river is ruthless, unpredictable, and ever-rushing. At 30 meters below ground, the water pressure exceeds 7.5 bars, enough to crush a car in seconds. To withstand this pressure, engineers used reinforced concrete waterproof segments, each weighing several tons and perfectly designed to fit together. The pressure is distributed throughout the tunnel body, resisting deformation even if the river changes direction or flow rate.

Multiple layers of waterproofing form the tunnel's protective layer. Even if one layer fails, the others can continue to function. The tunnel structure also includes emergency drainage channels and gates that can close part of the tunnel within seconds if seepage is detected.

Designed for the Chaos of the Real World

What is most impressive is not just the strength of the tunnel, but its intelligence. The inside of the tunnel functions like a living system. Sensors track everything: air quality, vehicle movement, temperature, and even minute vibrations.

In the event of an accident, the system can anticipate it. Within seconds, it triggers alarms, switches traffic lights, and notifies emergency services. In case of a fire, automatic suppression systems activate immediately. If a vehicle breaks down, cameras detect it in real-time and guide vehicles around the problem. This AI-driven infrastructure doesn't just react—it prevents disasters before they happen.

The tunnel also features:

  • New fresh air ventilation adapted to traffic conditions
  • Regularly set fire emergency exits
  • Intelligent lighting that adjusts according to visibility
  • High-speed vehicle tracking cameras for real-time analysis

The Human Effort Behind the Machine

It's easy to focus on the machines, but without the careful coordination of 1,200 engineers, workers, planners, and municipal officials, this project would have been impossible. They faced harsh weather, volatile sediments, tidal changes, and public pressure. Despite all this, they completed the project on time.

Chinese workers set a world record for the largest diameter tunnel under the Yellow River

The project started in August 2024 and was completed in its entirety underwater by December 19, 2024. No delays, no major failures—just pure execution. Its speed and precision exceeded global standards.

More Than Just a Tunnel

This project was not just about easing traffic congestion; it was a declaration, sending a message: when people and technology work in harmony, infrastructure can operate faster, smarter, and safer. Jinan has already seen these benefits: reduced pollution, business prosperity, improved emergency response, and a new sense of urban connectivity.

The impact goes far beyond that. This tunnel has set a new benchmark. Cities across Asia and around the world are studying the methods used in this project, hoping to replicate its efficiency and success in their own regions.

Source: Incredible Construction

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521527732719649289/

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