Hechi section of Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway completes tunnel construction

On Jan 24, construction was completed on the Yongshun tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway, marking the full completion of the tunnel projects from the Nanning to Hechi's Jinchengjiang district section of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway.

Located in Hechi's Du'an Yao autonomous county, Yongshun tunnel is 11,014 meters long. The tunnel is located in is a typical karst landform area. As a result, the geological conditions are very complex and more prone to problems like landslides, water and mud inrush, as well as rock bursts, making it the highest risk level among high-speed rail tunnels.

The construction site of the Yongshun tunnel. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

In order to ensure the safety and quality of the project, Yungui Railway Guangxi and China Railway 11th Bureau adopted a parallel pilot tunnel construction method, excavating a parallel auxiliary tunnel next to the Yongshun tunnel entrance. The number of tunnel working faces has been increased to 10 and the maximum progress of advancement was 40 m per day, which is five times higher than the traditional construction method.

The Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway runs through northwestern Guangxi and southeastern Guizhou. It is the first high-speed railway in Guangxi with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The entire line is expected to open in 2023, cutting the travel time between Nanning and Guiyang from the current five hours to about two hours, which is of great significance to promoting the deep integration of transportation, logistics, commerce, as well as industry between Guizhou province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.