The Shizimen Tunnel and the Nanwan Avenue-Hengqin Tunnel link section opened to traffic on July 26, bringing enhanced transportation convenience for motorists traveling to and from the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

The Shizimen Tunnel is the fifth outbound channel and the third underwater tunnel connecting Hengqin Island to the other parts of Zhuhai, following the Hengqin Bridge, the Second Bridge Hengqin, the Hengqin Tunnel, and the Zhuhai Airport Urban Railway. 

The Shizimen Tunnel is open to traffic. [Photo by Zeng Yao / WeChat account: zhuhaifabu]

The tunnel spans about 2.7 kilometers (1.68 miles) and features a double-deck design with four lanes in each direction. For fire safety concerns, pedestrian passages are temporarily unavailable, and the designated speed is set at 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour).

The tunnel starts from Rongyue Road on Hengqin Financial Island and runs north through the Maliuzhou Sea Area to Wanzai Huizhan Fourth Road, ultimately connecting to Nanwan Avenue in Xiangzhou district. 

After opening, it merely takes about five minutes to travel from Hengqin to the Wanzai area of the Shizimen Central Business District, effectively relieving traffic pressure on the Hengqin Bridge.

The Nanwan Avenue-Hengqin Tunnel link section stretches 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) with eight dual lanes. Its operation enhances the traffic conditions around the north exit of the Hengqin Tunnel and increases its utilization rate, rendering it a fast channel for people in western Hengqin to commute to downtown Zhuhai.

Su Kun, deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone, said that the inauguration of these two transportation projects is a concrete action showing Hengqin and Zhuhai's accelerated efforts toward the interconnection of their infrastructure works.