On May 22, the Xiangshuwan Tunnel, a key schedule-control project of the Zhengzhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway constructed by China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group, was fully holed through. This marks a major breakthrough in the large-scale mechanized supporting construction of tunnels in weak surrounding rock in China and has accumulated valuable experience for the rapid mechanized construction of this technology.

The Xiangshuwan Tunnel runs across Badong County in Hubei Province and Wushan County in Chongqing Municipality, with a total length of 12,475 meters. The tunnel's geological structure is complex and variable. It passes through strata such as mudstone intercalated with sandstone and residual silty clay. Affected by tectonic activity, the rock mass is relatively fractured, and Class IV and Class V weak surrounding rock accounts for 99% of the tunnel. The main construction risks include deformation, collapse, and roof caving of the weak surrounding rock. Construction is extremely difficult, comparable to threading a steel pipe through tofu while still keeping the tofu intact.

To ensure construction safety and quality, the project took the lead nationwide in comprehensively implementing information-based, intelligent, and mechanized supporting construction management. Through mobile phone apps and video monitoring, the complex on-site management processes were simplified, greatly improving management efficiency. At the same time, the project introduced advanced digital, intelligent, and information-based supporting equipment, including fully computerized three-boom rock drilling jumbos, semi-automatic arch installation trolleys, and concrete wet spraying units, achieving continuous monthly excavation of over 100 meters for 14 consecutive months and setting a new record of 145 meters of excavation in Class IV and Class V weak surrounding rock.

It is reported that the Zhengzhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway has a total length of 818 kilometers and a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The Hubei section, with a total length of 286 kilometers, is the most difficult to construct and is expected to be completed and opened to traffic in 2022. By then, the journey from Chongqing to Zhengzhou will take only about four hours, greatly promoting cultural exchanges and economic and social development along the route.