Zhongnanshan Tunnel
The double-tube Zhongnanshan Tunnel, each tube with a length of 18.02 km, takes only 15 minutes to drive through, reducing the journey between Xi'an and Zhashui by 60 km and from three hours to 40 minutes. The tunnel opened to traffic on January 20, 2007, turning the Qinling Mountain that was formerly considered a hindrance to the economic development of southern Shaanxi Province into a convenient thoroughfare. It starts from Qingcha, Xi'an in the north and ends at at Yingpan, Zhashui, connecting the northern and southern sections of the highway from Xi'an to Zhashui.
The tunnel created five new records:
1. The world's longest double-tube highway tunnel;
2. China's first independently designed, constructed, supervised and managed long highway tunnel with the highest comprehensive technological standards;
3. The world's highest and biggest ventilation shaft with a depth of 661 meters and a diameter of 11.5 meters;
4. The world's most advanced monitoring technology for highway tunnel;
5. The world's most advanced special lighting effect to relieve the fatigue of drivers' eyes and ensure driving safety;
Original management system equipped with automatic strategy creation software.
