The first tunnel of the Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway in Hubei Province has been successfully completed.

On September 12, the Taojiashan Tunnel of the Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway was completed ahead of schedule, becoming the first tunnel to be completed in the Hubei section of the Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway, marking a major milestone in the project's construction. The Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway is 360 kilometers long with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. It starts in Hefei, passes through Liuan, Jinzhai, Macheng, Hong'an, and finally reaches Wuhan, making it an important part of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway along the Yangtze River. The Taojiashan Tunnel is located in Macheng City, Hubei Province, with a total length of 1463.13 meters and a maximum depth of 73 meters. The tunnel is located in the Dabie Mountain area, part of the Qinling fold belt, with surrounding rocks of class II to V. There are dense joint zones, weathered abnormal zones, and rock fragmentation zones, posing geological risks such as collapses, falling rocks, and water inrushes. To ensure construction safety and progress, the project team adopted the principle of "dynamic design and construction" and used advanced technologies such as three-dimensional geological radar, transient electromagnetic water exploration, and advanced drilling techniques to accurately monitor the geological conditions ahead of the tunnel face in real time. In addition, smart lining trolleys and automatic 3D measurement scanners were introduced to establish a digitalized tunnel construction management platform, shifting from manual monitoring to technological control, effectively improving construction efficiency and safety quality control. It is reported that after the completion and operation of the Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway, the travel time between Wuhan and Hefei will be reduced from the current 2 hours to 1 hour, further optimizing the railway network layout along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, greatly facilitating the travel of people along the line, and playing an important role in accelerating the construction of a comprehensive transportation system along the Yangtze River, promoting regional coordinated development, and driving the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.