Tunnelling project under Micang Mountain

Equipment from XCMG has played an important role in the excavation of a new tunnel link underneath the Micang Mountain in China. The project to build the right-hand bore for the Micang Mountain tunnel on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Expressway has taken 54 months to complete. The tunnel was needed as the Micang Mountain has been a barrier to direct transportation at the junction of Hanzhong and Bazhong. This has blocked the major transport route between Sichuan and Shaanxi, preventing traffic flows across the reg
October 15, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Roadheaders from XCMG carried out the tunnel excavation work
Equipment from 2490 XCMG has played an important role in the excavation of a new tunnel link underneath the Micang Mountain in China.


The project to build the right-hand bore for the Micang Mountain tunnel on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Expressway has taken 54 months to complete.

The tunnel was needed as the Micang Mountain has been a barrier to direct transportation at the junction of Hanzhong and Bazhong. This has blocked the major transport route between Sichuan and Shaanxi, preventing traffic flows across the region. Now that the 13.8km long Micang Mountain Tunnel is complete, there is a direct route that will cut journey times substantially.

Now that the project is complete, this is the third longest road tunnel in the world, and the longest in China. The tunnel on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Expressway will slash the travel time for travelling around the Micang Mountain from four hours to just 30 minutes now that drivers can go directly underneath.

Inaccessibility of the site provided the biggest challenge to the construction workers as the construction work was carried out in an area that was difficult to access. However, there were many other challenges also including tropical rain, highly stressed rock conditions and high concentrations of dangerous gases.

The rare brittle rock mass in the high geostress area that the Micang Mountain Tunnel traverses has a high risk of rock bursts, landslides, fractures, cracks and even cave-ins. To maximise safety, this required real-time monitoring of the rock conditions throughout the construction operation. In addition, toxic gases released during tunnel excavation operations required workers to wear safety gear, adding to discomfort for personnel.


In order to overcome these difficulties and speed the construction work, mechanised cutting was selected as the main tunnelling method at the start of the project. XCMG’s Railway Equipment Division sent its two triple boom drilling jumbos to the project contractor: First Project Department under China Railway Engineering Group to assist in the tunneling operation. XCMG also supplied the mechanised cutting equipment that carried out the majority of the tunnel driving work. Both the drill jumbo and the roadheader machines performed reliably, despite the tough conditions, helping to ensure that the work was completed successfully.

Earthmoving & soil compaction

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Chinese road building with Caterpillar excavators
    March 24, 2017
    A contractor in China is using specially modified excavators to carry out key tasks for road construction work The firm has acquired a number of Caterpillar excavators that have been supplied in adapted form for the project. The company is working on a contract to carry out work on a 4km road project in Nanning Road, Tianfu New District in Chengdu City. Nanning Road is located in a mountainous area and the ground conditions are challenging, with a great deal of hard rock present. Typically, this type
    Read More
  • XCMG sets out six stage path for future plans
    October 14, 2013
    XCMG has seen strong exports, with one deal in particular providing a major boost to turnover - Mike Woof writes It is rare that a single machine order can provide a substantial portion of a large manufacturer’s annual results. However the firm’s massive contract signed with the Venezuelan Government was a major boost to XCMG; the supply of no less than 6025 machines in a deal worth some US$750 million. This order came at an important time for the company when the world demand for construction equipment sl
    Read More
  • Highway 99 revisited
    March 6, 2024
    David Arminas recently returned to Seattle for an inside look at some of the features of the now-complete SR99 tunnel that was a World Highways key project report in November 2017.
    Read More
  • UK report suggests 30km Pennine tunnel with robotic maintenance
    December 2, 2015
    The UK could build one of Europe’s longest road tunnels as it considers route options for a new major link connecting the cities of Manchester and Sheffield in England. An interim report looking at how best to connect the cities suggested that the road could be between 40km-50km, depending on the route. It “will include a tunnelled section, which could range from between 20-30km, making it one of the longest road tunnels ever built”.
    Read More

Highlighted Content