World's "Most Difficult" Cross-Sea Cluster Project Completes Subsea Tunnel in Shenzhen

A customized vessel carrying the last undersea tube and a junction part sets out for installation Friday. A 6,845-meter-long subsea tunnel of the mega cross-sea project connecting Shenzhen and Zhongshan closed up yesterday. Xinhua

A 6,845-METER-LONG subsea tunnel of the mega cross-sea project connecting Shenzhen and Zhongshan in South China’s Guangdong Province closed up yesterday, capping off a five-year-construction period and marking a further milestone in the development of the region’s overall connectivity.

This came three days after the installation of the tunnel’s last tube, which is 165 meters long and weighs 80,000 tons, according to Guangdong Communications Group.

Featuring a two-way eight-lane design, the tunnel is the world’s longest and widest undersea steel shell concrete tube tunnel. Its length of 5,035 meters consists of 32 tubes and a junction part, and 31 tubes had already been put in place from both ends.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link will play an important role in developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, encompassing the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province, such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Composed of bridges, man-made islands, a tunnel and an underwater channel, the link is deemed the world’s most difficult cross-sea cluster project.

In April 2023, the Lingdingyang Bridge, the cross-sea bridge which forms part of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link and extends for 17.2 kilometers, saw its final segment fully joined.

The 24-kilometer Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is expected to complete by November and open to traffic in 2024.

The link is an S-shaped route that considers multiple factors, such as hydrogeology, flood control and aviation height restrictions, resulting in a safer and more comfortable driving experience for commuters and tourists alike.

Once completed, the link will shorten travel time between the two southern China cities from 90 minutes to 30 minutes.

This marvelous infrastructure, which is located in the core area of the Greater Bay Area, is expected to help promote the integrated development of the east and west sides of the Pearl River and build a circular and smooth Greater Bay Area.

ARTICLE FROM: Shenzhen Daily