The southern-most tunnel through the Fenghuang Mt Range at Dajingshan Community Park has been nearly completed and, while being paved and having electrical devices installed, was inspected Dec 6 by a team of engineering experts.

Chen Xiangsheng, dean of the College of Civil & Transportation Engineering at Shenzhen University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, discussed plans for ventilating shafts. He is one of multiple experts who advise Guangdong Changzheng Construction on preventive measures taken in advance and on controlled blasting, static blasting, and mechanical demolition. The experts help ensure efficiency and safety despite adverse geological and reservoir sections.

The latest tunnel was broken through Bijiashan Mt on Dec 23. One of the six tunnels of the Xingye Express Road (North Section), it is 2.2 km (1.37 miles) long, and has three lanes in each direction on the Y-shaped north section of Xingye Express Road. 

The south end of the tunnel at Dajingshan Community Park connects to the Yingbin Road Feeder and main Xingye Express Road leading to Meihua Road. Five northbound lanes merge into three within the tunnel although it is more common for merging to occur on surface roads or bridges. This section required an excavation area of 311.14 sqm (3,350 sq ft).

A 100-m (328-ft) model part of the tunnel is being paved and has anti-glare light strips [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Daily]

A comprehensive management center will be set up adjacent to the south entrance for daily operation and maintenance.

The north section of Xingye Express Road is 17.1-km (10.6-mile) long with six tunnels with a length of 12.3 km (7.6 miles). It has two lanes each way with a designated speed limit of 60 kmph (37 mph). The lines run north-south in a "Y" shape. The east line starts at Tangle Road and passes through Sun Yat-sen University; the west line starts at Hagongda Road and crosses Jintang East Road. Both east and west lines pass through the Fenghuang Mt Range in two-way four-lane tunnels. They merge into the southern two-way six-lane tunnel through a viaduct to enter Bijiashan Mt, and then Dajingshan Community Park to connect to Xingye Road beneath Meihua Road. 

As part of Zhuhai's "Six Horizontal & Ten Vertical" skeleton road networks, Xingye Express Road will allow motorists to access express routes to and from core urban areas within 15 minutes and help Zhuhai become a comprehensive transport hub on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary.