On the 9th, the Jiangshuiquan Tunnel in Jinan, known as "Shandong's First Tunnel," achieved full connection, eight months ahead of the planned schedule. The Jiangshuiquan Tunnel project is a controlling component of the Jinan Link Road of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway. Once the Jinan Link Road project is completed, the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway will be directly connected to the East Second Ring Road and South Second Ring Road of Jinan, allowing citizens to reach the expressway directly without detouring through city roads. It is reported that after the tunnel connection, decoration and finishing work will still be carried out, and the tunnel is expected to open to traffic by the end of the year.
It is understood that the Jiangshuiquan Tunnel passes through the Golden Valley Landscape Gallery Scenic Area in Jinan, with a single-tube length of 3.1 kilometers, a clear span of 16.75 meters, and a maximum excavation cross-section of 219.8 square meters. It is currently the longest two-way eight-lane mountain highway tunnel in China and is called "Shandong's First Tunnel." The Jiangshuiquan Tunnel was invested in and constructed by Shandong Hi-Speed Group, with China Railway No.4 Engineering Group responsible for the construction. The first blasting construction took place on March 27, 2016. The tunnel is designed to first-class highway standards while also serving urban expressway functions, with a design speed of 60-80 km/h. After 469 days of arduous construction, it was completed with quality assurance eight months ahead of schedule.
According to the project manager, the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway currently has an entrance and exit at the Gangou Interchange in the eastern suburbs of Jinan. Vehicles entering and leaving Jinan mainly use the existing Jingshi Road and Lvyou Road to get on and off the expressway, and they need to detour for a long distance to connect with Jinan's Second Ring Road, which has also made Jingshi Road and Lvyou Road the most congested traffic sections in Jinan. The construction of the Jinan Link Road project will directly connect the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway with Jinan's East Second Ring Road and South Second Ring Road. After completion, citizens will be able to reach the expressway directly without detouring through city roads. This will greatly alleviate traffic pressure on Jingshi Road and Lvyou Road.