The construction process of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, a world-class cross-sea project, and its impact on local social and economic development, as well as a number of world records broken, were introduced. In particular, the construction of the undersea tunnel faced many difficulties and challenges, but it was successfully completed with the efforts of everyone. If you'd like to learn more about the details and impact of this feat, read on.
World-class sea-crossing projects
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor connects Shenzhen and Zhongshan, shortening the original drive time of two or three hours to about half an hour, which is of great significance for personnel exchanges and industrial exchanges between the two places. And in the long run, this corridor will greatly promote Shenzhen's westward development, which plays a very important role in the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
When it comes to the Shenzhong Channel, it is worth mentioning its construction investment, which is a project that costs hundreds of billions, and there are many unexpected difficulties in the process of construction, which can be said to have overcome all the obstacles along the way. Why is there so much difficulty? Because it is a hub in the Greater Bay Area connecting both sides of the Pearl River Estuary, it involves a lot of construction content, including tunnels, bridges and other forms, and the difficulty can be imagined.
From the beginning of project planning, financing, and project approval, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has attracted much attention from all parties, after all, the scale of investment in this project is so large that it is difficult to imagine how much impact it will have on the local finances if the construction fails. Therefore, this project can be said to have been under pressure and doubts along the way, but with everyone's efforts and perseverance, this important passage connecting the east and west arteries has finally been officially completed recently.
From a technical point of view, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is also a world-class super project, which is unprecedented in terms of both the scale and difficulty of the project. Not to mention its length, just from the form of the undersea tunnel, it is shocking enough.
The undersea tunnel is rare in the world because it is too difficult to construct and has many technical problems to face. In particular, in an undersea tunnel like the Shenzhong Corridor, which connects two cities, the factors to be controlled go far beyond the scope of an ordinary bridge or tunnel.
The materials and structure of the tunnel itself had to withstand the erosion of seawater, while also being strong and safe. If something goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating. In addition, the construction cost of the undersea tunnel is also very high, requiring a large number of advanced technical equipment and personnel to cooperate, and the cycle is often relatively long.
For this project, the undersea tunnel is just one of them, which plays a very important role in the overall planning. But just because it's just one of them doesn't mean the other parts are simpler. For example, the whole passage needs a bridge, two islands, and two tunnels to realize, which can be said to be a complex of bridges, tunnels, artificial islands and other forms.
Breaking world records over and over again
Due to the huge and difficult project, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor broke a number of world records during the construction process. For example, in the case of the undersea tunnel itself, it has set a new record for the longest, deepest and most complex in the world, which is an unprecedented feat.
The entire undersea tunnel is 15.9 kilometers long, reaching a maximum depth of 76 meters, and due to geological reasons, the tunnel itself does not go straight forward, but takes the form of ups and downs. This brought great difficulties to the construction of the tunnel, which not only increased the time cost, but also challenged the stability of the project itself.
In addition, during the construction of the undersea tunnel, there were two accidents, and although there were no casualties, the damage was very heavy. If it weren't for these accidents, perhaps the tunnel would have been completed and opened to traffic ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, these are uncontrollable factors, after all, the construction of the undersea tunnel is not an easy task.
In addition, as an important passage connecting the two cities, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is also unique in its overall design and functional positioning. There is no precedent in the world that can be compared with each other, so we need to explore and practice it ourselves.
In the design of bridges and tunnels, we have learned some advanced foreign experience and technology, but we have also made a lot of adjustments and improvements in combination with our own actual conditions. After all, the geographical environment and national conditions on both sides of the Pearl River Estuary are still very different, and there are more factors that need to be considered in actual operation.
Although a lot of investigation and analysis work was done in the early stage, there were still many problems encountered in the actual construction, and it was necessary to respond and adjust the plan in time. It can be said that the whole project has come through continuous trial and error, and it is a great test of the ability of our entire system.
Huge social benefits
Now that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has been officially opened, we can imagine that its impact on local social and economic development is very far-reaching. In the short term, the route, which originally took two or three hours to drive, only takes half an hour to reach the destination, and there are no obstacles to the exchange of people and industry between the two places.
Especially for Shenzhen, it can be said to be the biggest beneficiary. As one of the most important cities in the Pearl River Delta, Shenzhen has always attached great importance to cooperation and ties with neighboring cities, and has also taken the lead in promoting the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area.
However, due to factors such as traffic and geographical location, various troubles are often encountered in actual operation. For example, industrial cooperation, which was originally only one step away, could not be effectively communicated due to inconvenient transportation; Or many policy measures cannot be implemented in a timely manner because there is a lack of effective communication platforms between the two sides.
Now, with such an unobstructed artery as the Deep Middle Passage, these problems are easily solved. It can be said that Shenzhen will expand to the west in the future, and there will be no problem when connecting to the east.
In the longer term, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Although sufficient work has been done on all fronts, the process of regional integration remains alarmingly slow for a variety of reasons.
Greater Bay Area Integration
Many policies and resources cannot be effectively integrated, resulting in a very limited impact. This is compounded by the already inadequately connected cities, and if these problems are not addressed, even the most new policies will become decorations.
It can be said that without a channel like the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor that completely opens up the connection between the two sides, it is almost impossible for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to form a joint force. Now that this core and critical problem has finally been solved, we should see a closer cooperation model between cities in the Greater Bay Area in the future.
As it stands, the trend is clear. Whether it is Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Zhongshan and other cities, they have begun to adjust their development strategies and plan future development blueprints. Shenzhen, in particular, can be said to have become the biggest beneficiary of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor.
In the next decade or even longer, it can use this important passage connecting western cities to show its strong development vitality to the whole country, and drive more progress in industrial development and urban connection construction.
The market reacted strongly
It can be seen from the chaotic traffic flow after the opening of traffic this morning that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is indeed needed by the market. The planned and predicted opening ceremony was completely disrupted because congestion began less than an hour after the opening at 10 a.m.
Although we were well prepared and had a response plan in place, we still underestimated the extent of the market's reaction. According to the experience of opening new roads in other cities in previous years, there are not too many people who come to test and visit at the beginning; In addition, this time point is not very convenient for peak travel periods.
However, the reality was that to the surprise of all of us, after two consecutive test runs, the entire traffic volume reached as many as 16,000 vehicles. If there are no other distractions, this number will continue to rise.
Although for a newly built 24-kilometer undersea tunnel, 16,000 vehicles is already a fairly objective and staggering figure; However, from another point of view, there is still a gap between the investment scale of the entire project and the expected market demand.
The giants are the first to fall
Why? Because the vast majority of the 16,000 cars are test parties, tourists or people who come to experience the novelty, it does not represent the actual travel demand. When these people have had enough of the novelty, there will probably be more vehicles that really travel with purpose and regularity.
According to the plan we made earlier, only a maximum of 6,000 vehicles can be allowed to pass through during the trial phase; But now that limit has been reached in less than an hour. This means that we must upgrade our entire operating system as soon as possible, otherwise congestion will only get worse.
Although this is contrary to principles and planning, it is also a helpless move. Because we can't refuse the vehicle to keep coming; If there is a hard and fast rule that you have to wait until the next day, it may anger the already elated test party; More importantly, this data itself has made people realize the huge market demand for the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel.
Industrial upgrading
It can be seen that we still have some blind spots and misjudgments when predicting market demand and user habits; This data surprised and surprised everyone. In a way, 16,000 cars is like a resounding slap in the face to all the doubters, proving that all their previous doubts and doubts were wrong.
But as we speak, this staggering number also gives us great confidence and encouragement. Stress and skepticism throughout the preparation and planning process; Layers of repression and denial have almost made us lose the courage to move forward. But now all the hard work has paid off, and it has won recognition from the market and users.
Challenges and opportunities
However, I believe that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor will definitely usher in more challenges and opportunities in the future. For example, the current congestion problem must be solved as soon as possible; Otherwise, even the greatest novelty will not be able to withstand consumption. However, our internal capacity is clearly lacking; Even upgrading the operating system can only provide temporary relief; How to expand the traffic capacity in a short period of time is a problem that must be solved in front of us.
In addition, there are many more factors that need to be considered in long-term planning. For example, whether the originally planned industrial layout is still applicable; Yesterday we were still sitting on the model, and today it is uncertain whether the model scheme can meet the actual operational needs.
epilogue
The completion of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is a great engineering feat, which will not only shorten the traffic between Shenzhen and Zhongshan to half an hour, but will also have a profound impact on the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This achievement not only reflects the strength of the construction of the eastern big country, but also injects new vitality into the local economic and social development. What do you think is the significance of such a world-class project for urban development? Leave a comment to share your thoughts!