A road repeatedly excavated for inspections and emergency repairs not only affects traffic but also causes waste. In the future, Shenzhen will gradually say goodbye to the "trenching" phenomenon. The "Shenzhen Underground Utility Tunnel Management Measures (Trial)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures") officially came into effect on October 1, requiring all types of pipelines to be mandatorily installed in utility tunnels. During maintenance, personnel can enter the tunnel to work, and there is no longer a need to "rip open" the road.

　　Currently, Shenzhen has built 13.4 km of underground utility tunnels

　　Underground utility tunnels, also known as common ducts. Experts say it can be imagined as "a house built underground," with spacious space inside, where various pipelines such as municipal water supply and drainage, electricity, heating, communications, traffic control, and gas are orderly "housed." Its construction plays an immeasurable role in fully utilizing underground space, saving investment, and changing the urban landscape.

　　Shenzhen is one of the earlier cities in China to build underground utility tunnels. As early as 2005, it built the first underground utility tunnel in Dameisha, which has been operating safely for 12 years. Subsequently, Guangming New District and Qianhai also laid underground utility tunnels one after another. Currently, the city has built a total of 13.4 km of underground utility tunnels. According to the city's special plan for utility tunnels, the construction of underground utility tunnels will be further intensified, with plans to start construction of 270 km of utility tunnels from 2017 to 2020.

　　"Moving in" to the tunnel requires paying "rent"

　　How is this large-scale "underground big house" managed? The "Measures" make specific provisions on planning, construction, operation, and maintenance.

　　The "Measures" stipulate that the special plan for utility tunnels should conform to the overall urban plan and be coordinated with the near-term construction plan. For the development of new areas, various parks, and contiguous development zones, utility tunnels should be planned and constructed simultaneously. For old city renovation, new or reconstructed roads, etc., utility tunnel construction should also be arranged according to local conditions.

　　Underground utility tunnels implement a mandatory "move-in" and paid use system. On the one hand, in areas where utility tunnels have been built, new, reconstructed, or expanded pipelines in that area should be laid in the utility tunnels according to planning requirements; on the other hand, "moving in" to a utility tunnel requires paying "rent." Pipeline units entering the tunnel should pay tunnel entry fees to the tunnel property owner and pay daily maintenance fees to the tunnel operation and maintenance unit, unless otherwise specified by the government. If the tunnel operation cannot recover costs through daily maintenance fees, the municipal and district governments may provide subsidies based on actual conditions.

　　Pipeline units refusing to enter the tunnel fined 100,000 yuan

　　The cost of underground utility tunnels is "expensive." According to estimates by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, it exceeds 100 million yuan per kilometer, higher than a four-lane expressway. Because of this, it has not been widely promoted on a large scale in China.

　　The "Measures" encourage social capital to participate in the development and construction of utility tunnels. The construction of underground utility tunnels adopts a model combining government investment, social investment, and public-private partnership investment. The government can promote social capital participation in tunnel investment and construction through franchising, investment subsidies, loan interest subsidies, and land use rights as equity contributions. For tunnels with social capital participation, the cooperative investment agreement determines the tunnel property rights, construction, operation, and maintenance, etc.

　　The "Measures" also impose penalties for violations such as forced entry refusal and endangering tunnel safety. For example, if a pipeline unit fails to lay pipelines in the tunnel as required, its industry management department shall order correction within a time limit; if correction is not made within the time limit, a fine of 100,000 yuan shall be imposed.