Construction of two additional dual-lane tunnels and a smaller two-way slow-traffic passage is well underway on each side of the current Banzhang Mt Tunnel.

Engineers have blasted and opened six entrances for the three passageways, with more than 90 m having been drilled.

The additional pair of roadways allowing a maximum speed of 60 kmph (37 mph) and another route exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians will have traffic flows in both directions.

The 240-million-yuan ($34.7-million) project cuts through the mountain from North Yingbin and West Renmin roads to South Yingbin Road and Jiuzhou Avenue.

Construction of tunnel portals

Soundproof measures were taken to minimize the impact on nearby residents. Furthermore, construction was done during off-peak hours so as not to affect arterial traffic, according to Li Cheng, deputy head of the Construction Department of Zhuhai Urban Construction Real Estate Development Co.

Once completed in April 2020, there will be dual eight-lane passages with a length of 1.21 km (3/4 mile) breaking gridlocks on south-north Yingbin Road and further alleviating traffic pressure on downtown Zhuhai, according to the Zhuhai Highway Bureau, which is overseeing the project.

Makeshift steel bridge for heavy vehicles

Installations inside a tunnel [Photos courtesy southcn.com]