Wuxi begins construction on second underwater tunnel

As part of the Yi-Ma (Yixing-Mashan) Fast Track, the 41.1-meter-wide tunnel will run for 7.81 kilometers under Zhushan Lake, the lake linking Yixing and Changzhou in Jiangsu province.

The tunnel will be constructed by use of the open excavation method, and will have three lanes and one emergency parking strip in each direction.

Construction of Yi-Ma Fast Track's guide part started Jan 2, and the track is considered a pilot project to promote the integration of Wuxi and Yixing.

The 16-km Yi-Ma Fast Track, 12 km of which will run through Wuxi, is scheduled to open in 2023. It is designed for the vehicles traveling at 100 km per hour.

Though it costs more time and money to build highway tunnels under lakes compared to bridges, the project is good for the environmental protection of Taihu Lake, a representative of the project said.

"We expected Yi-Ma Fast Track could be connected to other roads in cities along the Yangtze River Delta region in the future," the representative said.

There are three main roads connecting Wuxi and Yixing at present: the Wuxi-Yixing Highway, the 342 Provincial Highway and 230 Provincial Highway. With the construction of Yi-Ma Fast Track, it will only take 30 minutes top drive from Nanquan town in Wuxi to Zhoutie town in Yixing.