The T8 contract section of the Nayong-Qinglong Expressway, constructed by the Naqing Highway Project Department (Section 8) of China Energy Engineering Corporation's Gezhouba Road & Bridge Company, has a total length of 15.274 kilometers. The controlling node project of this section is the Xiaba Tunnel. On February 13, the excavation length of the right tube at the tunnel's entrance exceeded 1,000 meters, progressing steadily to help the Naqing Expressway open to traffic as soon as possible.

As a key controlling and major difficult project of the Naqing Expressway, the Xiaba Tunnel is about 5.2 kilometers long, making it the longest tunnel on the expressway, with 2.9 kilometers constructed in this contract section. The tunnel is located in a karst landscape area, where the tunnel site features developed karst and variable geological conditions. It passes through three underground river zones, posing high risks of mud bursts and water inflow during construction. Through preliminary investigation and later analysis, the project department checked and filled gaps in existing hydrogeological data, and established a scientific research team to analyze and assess construction risk points, treating adverse geological conditions ahead of time to ensure construction safety and progress. During construction, methods such as advanced geological forecasting, infrared water detection, advanced drilling, and deepened blast holes were also used to further verify the geological conditions ahead, allowing risk treatment in advance and ensuring safety.

To accelerate project construction, more than 200 workers have been assigned to the entrance of the Xiaba Tunnel by the Naqing Expressway Section 8 Project Department. To ensure tunnel construction quality and safety, the department has consistently upheld a craftsman's spirit, adapted measures to local conditions, and optimized each construction plan. It has also strengthened safety control over workers and actively adopted information-based and dynamic management. Since tunnel excavation began at the end of 2021, the project has overcome various unfavorable construction factors and achieved coordinated development and simultaneous improvement in safety, quality, and environmental and water conservation progress. The current average daily advance is 4 meters.

It is reported that, as a national key expressway project, the Naqing Expressway is a section of the sixth vertical line of the Guizhou Provincial Expressway Network Plan, the Shengji-Xingyi Expressway, and also a section of the national highway densification route "Bijie-Nayong-Liuzhi-Qinglong-Xingyi-Yunnan Hekou." Once completed, the Naqing Expressway will form a sea-access channel from the Panxi region via Liupanshui and a roughly 600-kilometer southbound rapid corridor from Liupanshui to the ASEAN economic zone. It will improve transportation conditions for the Liuzhi Power Plant and Zhongzhai Coalfield along the route, and directly connect to the Guangzhao Reservoir area of the Beipan River, resolving the inconvenience of tourism travel in the reservoir area.