This excavator carries out work to level the ground at the construction site of Wuxi Mashan highway, south Jiangsu province. [Photo / wxrb.com]

The Changzhou-Wuxi section of the Jiangsu southern highway project began construction in Wuxi, East China on June 26. When completed, the huge infrastructure project will be the longest and widest sub-lake tunnel in China and greatly ease road travel in the congested region.

Route: the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou highway project runs from Qian Huang hub, the junction of Changzhou and Yixing highway, to Nan Quan hub and connects with the highway that runs around the perimeter of Lake Taihu.

Significance: the highway project will optimize the road network in Wuxi significantly by relieving traffic pressure in the city along the Shanghai-Nanjing highway. Moreover, the Su-Xi-Chang highway project will connect Wuxi’s scenic spots and promote the development of tourist industry.

Length: in total, the tunnel will stretch 43.9 kilometers with the Wuxi section comprising 22.4 kilometers and the Changzhou section reaching 21.47 kilometers. The entrances and exits to the tunnel will be at Ma Shan, Shan Junzhang, and Nan Quan.