The western route of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is the optimal route for Chengdu goods to head south and reach the sea. The entire corridor spans 1,377 kilometers, nearly 300 kilometers shorter than the original route. The Huangba Railway is a crucial section of it. The Dayunshan Tunnel within the route is a key and challenging project, with complex geological conditions and prominent construction risks. Currently, the main tunnel has advanced over five kilometers. The construction team has opened multiple working faces to advance simultaneously, relying on refined construction techniques and intelligent monitoring systems to address multiple geological challenges such as karst soft rock deformation. The steady progress of the tunnel has also brought substantial breakthroughs to the construction of this shortest and lowest-cost sea route.

Difficulties in tunnel construction

The Dayunshan Tunnel, with a total length of approximately 12,940 meters, ranks as the second longest tunnel in the Guizhou section of the Huangba Railway. With a maximum buried depth of 517 meters, it passes through fault and fold zones, intertwined with geological hazards such as karst floor heave. The project layout includes two inclined shaft entrances and four major construction sites at the exit, with six working faces for simultaneous construction. Standardized tunneling construction requirements are implemented on site, coupled with advanced geological prediction and an all-weather intelligent monitoring system inside the tunnel, to comprehensively avoid the risk of collapse and deformation, ensuring the continuous and stable progress of the project.  

Channel strategic value

The Huangba Railway connects northward to the Shanghai-Kunming Railway and southward to the Nanning-Kunming Railway, forming the core section of the western route of the new land-sea corridor in the west. Compared to the other two routes, the western route has the shortest mileage and lower transportation costs. Upon completion, it will improve the southwest railway network, significantly shorten the transportation distance for bulk goods from Chengdu to Qinzhou Port, reduce logistics expenses, effectively drive industrial circulation along the Sichuan-Guizhou-Guangxi route, and promote coordinated development in the western region.Editor/Min Jing