On August 20, it was learned from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transport that the Lizhi Tunnel on the Tongguang section (Pingchang area) of the Zhenguang Expressway has recently achieved single-tube breakthrough. It is the first long tunnel in Bazhong to achieve single-tube breakthrough, completed two months ahead of the original schedule, laying a solid foundation for subsequent T-beam erection work and the full breakthrough of the tunnel within the year.

The tunnel is a dual-tube separated tunnel and a micro-gas tunnel, with a left tube 1,490 meters long and a right tube 1,475 meters long. During construction, the contractor deployed intelligent new equipment such as rock drilling jumbos, arch frame jumbos, and rock bolt jumbos, held weekly meetings on tunnel safety and quality on a regular basis, summarized construction progress in a timely manner, and strictly implemented process control. At the same time, to cope with sustained high temperatures, heatstroke prevention and cooling stations were set up and heatstroke prevention supplies were distributed, making every effort to ensure the rapid advancement and safe breakthrough of the tunnel.

The Zhenguang Expressway is the country's first "red-themed" expressway, connecting Zhenba County in Shaanxi with Bazhong City, Dazhou City, and Guang'an City in Sichuan, with a total length of 251 kilometers. It is divided into three sections for construction: the Sichuan-Shaanxi border to Wangping section, the Wangping to Tongjiang section, and the Tongjiang to Guang'an section. Among them, the Wangping to Tongjiang section was completed and opened to traffic on January 18, 2022, while the Sichuan-Shaanxi border to Wangping section and the Tongjiang to Guang'an section are under construction. Once the entire expressway is completed, it will further optimize the expressway network of the Northeast Sichuan Economic Zone and the Qinba Mountain area, promote the development of tourism resources along the route, and drive regional economic and social development.