May 9, the Haicang-side tunnel portal of the Second West Channel (Haicang Tunnel)

The Xiamen Haicang Tunnel (Xiamen Second West Channel) has completed over 95% of its total construction and has smoothly entered the final stage, with official opening to traffic expected in June.

The Haicang Tunnel crosses the western waters of Xiamen, connecting Haicang District and Huli District. At 9 a.m. on May 9, at the Haicang-side entrance of the Haicang Tunnel near the junction of Haicang Avenue and Maqing Road, workers were seen stepping up construction on the connecting road surface, while the four large characters "Haicang Tunnel" atop the portal were covered with red cloth, awaiting the moment of opening.

Led by staff members, we drove from the right tube of the Haicang Tunnel toward Huli District on the island. Along the way, the tunnel was brightly lit, violation-capture electronic cameras were already in operation, ventilation fans were running at full capacity, and workers were carrying out final construction at intervals. At present, the entire tunnel construction team is making an all-out sprint, with more than 500 workers across the line.

Unlike the "single entry, single exit" arrangement on the Haicang side, the Huli end has three exits. The first exit connects to Huatai Road and merges into Huli Avenue; the second exit connects to Xinghu Road, and vehicles merge into Shigushan Interchange after exiting; the last exit is on Huoju North Road, which is also the main entrance and exit of the tunnel on the island side, linking to Gaoqi Interchange and providing access to Fangzhong Road, the Gaoqi Airport area and Chenggong Avenue.

When leaving the island via the Haicang Tunnel, vehicles can enter the tunnel through the main entrance on Huoju North Road and the ramp entrance on Xinghu Road. After exiting the tunnel, Maruan Bay and Xinyang are both relatively close.

It is understood that, according to the construction schedule, the Haicang Tunnel will next focus on multiple tasks including outdoor landscaping, installation of crash barriers, welding of light-shading canopies, asphalt paving of the tunnel road surface, and installation of fireproof panels, all of which are expected to be fully completed by the end of this month. By then, the Haicang Tunnel will be ready for opening to traffic.

Haicang Tunnel

The Haicang Tunnel connects Xiamen Island and Haicang District. Construction began in March 2016. It is an important part of the inner ring line of the city's "two rings and eight radials" expressway network and, together with the Second East Channel (Xiang'an Bridge), forms a major east-west corridor running through Xiamen Island. The route has a total length of 7.1 kilometers, including a 6.3-kilometer tunnel and a 2.8-kilometer sea-crossing section. It is designed with six lanes in both directions and a driving speed of 80 kilometers per hour.