With the roar of machinery echoing across the land of Minhou, another throat project along the Shuangfu Expressway, the Xitai Tunnel, has officially started construction. This 5045-meter-long extra long tunnel connects Guashan Village in Nantong Town at one end and Xitai Village in Qingkou Town at the other end. It is not only a controlling node of the Shuangfu Expressway, but also a key link in the southbound exit passage of Fuzhou. Unlike the one-way excavation of ordinary tunnels, the Xitai Tunnel adopts a strategy of fighting from both ends, and the warm-up operations before entering the tunnel have been synchronized at both ends of the entrance and exit.

Bidirectional excavation and geological challenges

At the construction site, the builders are seizing the opportunity for clear weather and launching a tough battle on the construction surface of the interception ditch at the entrance of the tunnel and the slope. For extra long tunnels, the reinforcement of the entrance is a prerequisite for safe entry, and the construction of the exit section presents a complex pattern of "bridge tunnel connection". On the 860 meter roadbed extending from the tunnel exit, three culvert structures are rising from the ground, laying the foundation for the subsequent construction of the mainline bridge. This synchronous promotion mode of "tunnel+roadbed+culvert" greatly tests the overall planning and scheduling ability of the project.

Road network stitching and hub interconnection

From a broader perspective of the road network, the completion of the Xitai Tunnel is just a prelude. The tunnel exit not only needs to cross the Fuzhou Fuyin Expressway South Connection Line (Main Line No.1 Bridge), but also needs to continuously cross the 104 National Highway and Shenhai Expressway (Main Line No.2 Bridge). As an important component of the national highway network's "east-west horizontal line" G70, the southern connecting line of Fuyin Expressway carries the important task of leaving the province from Fuzhou to Nanchang. The Shuangfu Expressway has an interchange here, which will achieve rapid transportation conversion and effectively alleviate the congestion pressure of the existing Xiangqian Interchange. Subsequently, the line will be elevated and connected to the Houcuo Grand Bridge and Lixiang Grand Bridge, eventually reaching the Tailing Tunnel, forming a complete fast corridor. Keywords: transportation infrastructure, highways

The construction of Shuangfu Expressway is not just a simple road extension, but a deep optimization of the Fuzhou expressway network structure. It is like a strong bond, closely connecting Minhou, Qingkou and the main urban area of Fuzhou.Editor/Cheng Liting