Guangzhou opens first mega-diameter shield tunnel, boosting connectivity

Guangzhou’s first mega-diameter shield tunnel, the Haizhuwan Tunnel, opened to traffic Wednesday, marking a major milestone in the city’s infrastructure and enhancing connectivity across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Spanning 4.35 kilometers with six lanes and a designed speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour, the tunnel links downtown area of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, with Guangzhou South Railway Station, cutting travel time between the two from over 30 minutes to just 15.

Constructed as a twin-tube structure, the tunnel's shield-driven section stretches 2,102 meters, with a maximum excavation diameter of 15.07 meters, making it Guangzhou's first ultra-large-diameter shield tunnel.

The new tunnel is expected to significantly improve traffic efficiency around Guangzhou South Railway Station and further strengthen the city's role as an international transport hub.

It will also inject new momentum into connectivity and coordinated development across the Greater Bay Area.

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 49.50 points, or 0.11 percent, to 45216.14. The Standard and Poor's 500 sank 25.13 points, or 0.39 percent, to 6343.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased by 153.72 points, or 0.73 percent, to 20794.64.

Eight of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended in green, with financials and utilities leading the gainers by rising 1.10 percent and 0.66 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Industrial and technology services led the laggards by going down 1.61 percent and 1.49 percent, respectively.