October 22 — The super-large slurryTBM "CREC1659", developed by CREG, has successfully completed factory acceptance in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Following the "CREC1662" factory acceptance in Zhengzhou on September 15, this is the second domestically built large-diameter TBM of the same specification. Both machines will be deployed together on the Hefei G4001 Link Project (West Extension Project of North Second Ring Road), tunneling beneath Dongpu Reservoir and injecting strong impetus into Hefei's urban development.
The West Extension Project of North Second Ring Road spans Shushan and Luyang Districts, starting from the North Second Ring Road interchange in the east and extending to the Bailianyan Road expressway interchange in the west, with a total length of approximately 10.6 kilometers. Lot 1, which runs from the West Second Ring Road–Qingxi Road interchange in the east to Kexuedao Road in the west, is about 3.8 kilometers long and features dual 8-lane carriageways. Its core controlling work — the shield tunnel section beneath Dongpu Reservoir — stretches approximately 2.9 kilometers with a twin-tube double-deck design, making it a rare project in China where a super-large diameter TBM bores beneath a major flood-control and water-supply reservoir.
Both TBMs feature an excavation diameter of 16.68 meters. Having completed factory acceptance in sequence, they will be deployed on the same project. During construction, the machines must operate on sharp curves and steep slopes, pass in close proximity to the West Second Ring Road viaduct, the reservoir dam, and drinking water source protection zones, while also coping with composite geological conditions combining long-distance hard rock boring, fault fracture zones, and underwater working conditions — placing extremely high demands on tunneling control precision and attitude adjustment.
As a key transportation project in Hefei, upon completion the West Extension Project of North Second Ring Road will drive coordinated development of western clusters including Yunhe New Town, the High-tech Zone, and the Shushan Economic and Technological Development Zone, carrying great significance for expanding Hefei's urban development space, alleviating regional traffic pressure, and advancing integrated urban-rural development.
