Key tunnel of Xiangyang-Yichang Expressway completes

The 3.8-kilometer Zhumachang Tunnel, the first extra-long tunnel on the Yichang section of the Xiangyang-Yichang Expressway, was completed on Nov. 5, overcoming the route's biggest geological challenge.

Bored to a maximum depth of 370 meters, the tunnel traverses seven weak interlayers and methane-rich limestone near Luoxing Village, a geological cultural site known for its Triassic fossils. Crews described the work as navigating a “geological maze” and safeguarded the area by conducting high-resolution seismic surveys and gas-risk assessments before each blast.

Inside the tunnel, real-time methane monitors, wireless alarms, personnel locators, and safe-distance cameras operated together. Dual-boom drilling jumbos and robotic wet-spraying arms increased efficiency and ensured worker safety. All wastewater and excavated materials were directed to central treatment plants for recycling, preserving nearby streams and forests.

The Zhumachang tunnel, located in the Yichang section of the Xiangyang-Yichang Expressway, has been completed. (Photo by Wu Jinsuo)
 

The breakthrough raises the investment in the Yichang section to 9.08 billion yuan, or 59.3 percent of the total, and pushes overall progress past the halfway mark for roadbeds and bridges, and beyond 70 percent for tunnel construction. Once the expressway opens in late 2026, the travel time between Yichang and Xiangyang will decrease from three hours to ninety minutes.

Zeng Xuebin contributed to this story.