China: Xiushan thousand-man tunnel complete

[John Ashworth]

Xiushan thousand-man tunnel complete

Tunnels & Tunnelling International

The Xiushan Tunnel was completed on 10 January. The project in Yunnan Province, China forms part of the eastern line, the Yuxi-Mengzi Railway, of the Pan-Asia railway project.

The 1.3km tunnel was considered a ‘first-level high-risk tunnel’. Tonghai County in Yunnan is famous for complex, changing geology. Tunnelling encountered frequent bursts of water and mud.

Construction took 1,000 workers six years to complete.

Total investment for the railway will hit CNY 4.5bn (USD 703M). It will become operational later in 2012.

The eastern line will run for 141km and accommodate train speeds of up to 120km/h. It will enable greater trade between China and ASEAN nations. State news agency Xinhua reported in 2006 that rail transport could only meet 30 per cent of transportation demand for trade with the bloc.