World's longest cross-river highway shield tunnel passes lowest point

The left tube of the bidirectional Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel, the world's longest cross-river highway shield tunnel, successfully passed the lowest point of the riverbed on Monday, signifying that the tunnel construction has achieved the through-passage of the lowest point for both tubes and laying a solid foundation for its full completion.

The tunnel, located in east China's Jiangsu Province, is a key project to forge a major trans-river road link under China's longest river, connecting Haimen in Nantong City with Taicang in Suzhou City of the province.

At a depth of 75 meters beneath the Yangtze River estuary surface, China's independently developed Cangyuan shield tunneling machine has completed 5,334 meters of boring and safely drove through the riverbed's lowest point.

This section was the most critical part of the project where the construction risks were most concentrated and challenges were at their highest. The tunnel structure had to withstand an extremely high water pressure of 0.75 MPa, equivalent to the combined weight of approximately 51 vehicles each weighing 1.5 tons for each one single square meter to withstand.

"Facing challenges such as high water pressure at the riverbed, equipment abrasion from sandy soils with high quartz content, and significant geological variations, the technical team continuously adjusted key parameters. Relying on intelligent equipment and technology, we monitored data, conducted intelligent analysis, and optimized parameters in real time, successfully overcoming the hard technical problems," said Zhao Xiaopeng, an engineer on the project.

Stretching approximately 39.07 kilometers in total, the tunnel includes an 11.185-kilometer underwater section, with the shield-driven section on the left tube measuring 9,327 meters in length. It is designed as a six-lane, bidirectional highway with a speed limit of 100 km/h.

The tunnel construction is expected to be completed in 2028. Upon completion, it will serve as a critical link to facilitate transportation in the Yangtze River Delta in east China.

Zhejiang Province, China's eastern economic and manufacturing hub, launched its first direct cargo flight to Luxembourg on Monday morning, with an all-cargo aircraft taking off from Nanhu International Airport in Jiaxing City.

The flight, loaded with cross-border e-commerce goods, electronic products, and household items, marks the official opening of the Jiaxing-Luxembourg international route, the first direct cargo air link between Zhejiang and the European country.

As the first dedicated air cargo hub in the Yangtze River Delta -- one of China's most economically vibrant regions, Jiaxing Nanhu Airport now connects directly to a major European logistics center, giving foreign trade businesses faster and more convenient global logistics options.