A tunnel will be built beneath the east-west Zhuhai Bridge to handle ever-increasing traffic between Xiangzhou and western districts and remain open during strong winds, including typhoons.

The engineering and design consultation contract for the Modaomen Cross-River Channel is open for bids, according to a June 5 public notice on the Zhuhai Public Resource Trading Center website. A Zhuhai Communication Group subsidiary will be responsible for construction.

The 4.6-km (3-mile) tunnel under the estuary of the Xijiang River will reconnect with Zhuhai Avenue. The dual six-lane structure totaling 4.8 km will be built to urban expressway standards and have a designed speed of 80 kmph (50 mph).

Rendering of Modaomen Cross-River Channel [Photo courtesy Shanghai Urban Construction Design & Research Institute]