The Haizhu Bay Tunnel, the first super-large-diameter shield tunnel in the Pearl River Basin, was finally drilled through in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Monday, marking new progress in its construction.
The total length of the two-way six-lane tunnel, a provincial and municipal double key project, is 4.35 kilometers. The shield section is 2,077 meters long, and the excavation diameter is 15.07 meters, while the outer diameter of the segment is 14.5 meters.
"The Haizhu Bay Tunnel is the most crucial control project of the Guangzhou South Railway Station's rapid transit system. It is also the first project in Guangzhou to utilize a super-large-diameter shield tunnel to cross the Pearl River system. Today, the smooth operation of the boring machine used for constructing the west tunnel marks the achievement of the drill-through of two tunnels of the key project in Guangdong Province," said Wang Haijun, general manager of the project.
Upon its completion and inauguration in 2025, it will form an express channel between Guangzhou's city center and Guangzhou South Railway Station, cutting the travel time between them to 15 minutes, and further improve the infrastructure level of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Ultra-large-diameter tunnel drilled through in Guangdong
Experts said that the farming-friendly measures outlined in the annual government work report will not only motivate farmers to increase grain production but also encourage local governments to place greater emphasis on agriculture and invest more in the sector.
China has raised its grain output target for 2025 to an all time high of over 700 million metric tons, according to the annual government work report.
"Improving the system designed to benefit and enrich grain farmers is a way to support them. For local governments in major grain-producing regions, it's important to establish a coordinated mechanism for inter-provincial compensation led by the central government. This is expected to be implemented this year, ensuring that both grain farmers and local governments in these areas benefit from their efforts to focus on grain production. This is a priority," said Hu Xiangdong, director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
To reach the target, experts highlighted, priority should be given to promoting integrated technologies in the agricultural sector, alongside upgrading related infrastructure and facilities. These measures are expected to boost per unit yield of grain.
"By developing high-standard farmland, advancing facility agriculture, and improving related equipment, we can strengthen our disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. The key to increasing yield per unit is effectively combining the application of integrated technology with improvements in agricultural conditions, such as production in high-standard farmland," said Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Institute of Rural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Moreover, the government work report this year also outlined plans to stabilize grain prices, a key concern for farmers, and ensure that the prices of major agricultural products remain within a reasonable range.
"Recently, grain prices have stabilized and started to rise, while livestock and poultry product prices have remained steady. This is encouraging news for farmers. By maintaining reasonable prices, farmers can better benefit from growing grain and engaging in agricultural production," Li said.
Experts applaud farming-friendly measures outlined in government work report
