Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Jianghai has entered the initial testing phase for the construction of Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel in Jiangsu Province, East China.
The cutter head of the shield tunnelling machine, with a diameter of 16.64m and 460 tons of weight, was mounted at the construction site, in the city of Nantong.
Jianghai was designed and developed by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corp., in collaboration with China Railway 14th Bureau Group.
The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) measures 145m in length and weighs about 5,000 tons.
The cutter head was precisely lowered into place at the site, highlighting one of the most intricate and challenging stages of the TBM’s assembly, according to a CCTV report.
The Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel, one of the world’s longest underwater highway tunnels, will stretch 39.07km, including an 11.185km underwater section.
It connects the Haimen District of Nantong City with Taicang of Suzhou City, both in Jiangsu.
The tunnel will be constructed with a six-lane design, using the TBM to navigate challenging geological conditions, including high water pressure and intricate operational demands.
The project is anticipated to progress rapidly, with more than 200 workers remaining on-site to assemble TBM components and finalise adjustments.
The shield tunnelling machine is set to commence tunnelling work by the end of March 2025 and is preparing for the tunnel’s groundbreaking excavation.
