Recently, the reporter learned from Yanlong Subdistrict of the High-tech Zone that the "Yancheng High-tech Zone Underground Utility Tunnel Plan (2016-2030)" has passed expert review. Yandu District will take the lead in implementing the underground utility tunnel project in the city, with construction to start within the year on Weisan Road and Huarui Road.

A utility tunnel is a corridor for pipelines. An underground utility tunnel is a large pipeline into which various underground pipelines are installed according to a unified plan. When pipelines need maintenance, there is no need to excavate the road; maintenance personnel and engineering vehicles can enter the underground utility tunnel through access passages to carry out work.

“Building an underground urban pipeline utility tunnel can meet the needs of efficient and intensive urban development, extend the service life cycle of engineering pipelines, and improve the comprehensive disaster prevention capacity of the city's lifeline.” said Xu Longsheng, a staff member of the Construction Department of Yanlong Subdistrict, High-tech Zone. “At the same time, it can effectively solve the ‘zipper road’ problem and address common problems of current urban pipelines, generating good social, economic, and environmental benefits.”

In October last year, Yancheng High-tech Zone launched the compilation of a special plan for underground utility tunnels. Through field visits to other places and participation in special studies organized by national ministries and provincial and municipal authorities, qualified units were invited to compile the urban underground utility tunnel engineering plan. At the end of May this year, the "Yancheng High-tech Zone Underground Utility Tunnel Plan (2016-2030)" passed expert review. At present, various pre-construction tasks are proceeding in an orderly manner.

It is understood that the Yancheng High-tech Zone underground utility tunnel project plan covers 45 square kilometers, with a total of 11 tunnels and a total length of 38.8 kilometers. Among them, from 2016 to 2018, three underground utility tunnels are planned for construction on Huarui Road, Weisan Road, and Weier Road, with a total length of 5.1 kilometers. Construction on Weisan Road and Huarui Road will start in the second half of this year, and construction on Weier Road will start next year.