Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel, which is a National 863 Program demonstration project of science and technology, successfully traversed the middle of the Yangtze River 60 meters underwater at 12:00 pm on March 30.

This project represents the highest standards of underwater tunnel construction currently available in China and its success marks a major breakthrough for China's underwater construction technology.

Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel is being constructed by the China Railway Shisiju Group Corporation. It is a world class cross-river tunnel project with great technical difficulties and challenges in engineering that have never been seen in the Yangtze River valley. The tunnel at the deepest will traverse the Yangtze River 65 meters underwater. The tunnel will be able to withstand hydraulic pressure up to 13 kilograms per square centimeter.

The tunnel has a designed life expectancy of 100 years and is expected to be structurally completed within the year.

By People's Daily Online