Nanjing Dinghuaimen Yangtze River Tunnel
Release time:
2025-12-24
Abstract
Construction unit: China Communications Construction Company Tunnel Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. / China Communications Construction Company Second Navigation Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd.
Device Number: Tianhe and Tianhe No. 1
Cutting disc diameter: 15.03 meters
Tunneling length: The tunnel is being excavated in two separate north-south lines. The northern tunnel has a total excavation length of 7,014 meters, of which 3.5 kilometers are shield-driven sections. The southern tunnel has a total excavation length of 7,363 meters, with 4.1 kilometers being shield-driven sections. The twin shield-driven sections will pass beneath the main channel of the Yangtze River as well as through areas such as Qianzhou and Jiangxinzhou.
Project Features:
Leading in design scale: Adopting the world’s first double-layer, multi-outlet X-shaped overall design, this tunnel features a dual-tube, double-layer, eight-lane structure that efficiently diverts traffic flow. At the time, it was the largest tunnel of its kind in the world.
The construction is extremely challenging: described as a “world-class project located 70 meters beneath the riverbed,” it requires crossing the Yangtze River’s embankment four times, with local overburden thickness as little as 9 meters. The tunnel must pass through various geological strata, including soft soil and hard rock, with quartz content in the rock formations reaching as high as 65%. During construction, the water pressure can reach up to 0.72 megapascals, and there have been instances where only 3 to 4 meters were excavated in a single day.
Independent Technological Innovation: The tunneling machines used feature several pioneering technologies, both internationally and domestically—such as deployable cutter picks and a cutterhead that can extend by up to 100 millimeters. These innovations have enabled the record-breaking achievement of continuous tunneling through sandy gravel strata for 2,580 meters without changing tools. The related technologies have been granted numerous invention patents.
Year of commencement: November 1, 2010
Year of completion: June 2015
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