China-Laos Railway Project Pushes through Tunnel

The Dalong No. 2 tunnel of the China-Laos Railway, being built by Sinohydro Bureau 3 Co, a subsidiary of POWERCHINA, was recently drilled through.

This is the third tunnel to complete drilling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tunnel, located in the Luang Prabang Province in Laos, has a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour and is 2,321 meters long.

Officials said the tunnel area is a structurally eroded alpine landform with large terrain relief and a relative height difference of more than 100 meters. The lithology is mainly carboniferous slate with sandstone, marlstone and limestone slate, which developed joint fissures and a broken rock mass, making it difficult to execute the construction.

Since its construction in May 2017, the project department overcame the difficulties posed by the narrow construction site, tight construction period and difficult transportation of materials during the rainy season.

The company optimized the construction plan to achieve zero accidents, while maintaining the safety and quality of the tunnel construction.

Officials said in the face of the severe pandemic, the project managers focused on infection prevention and control measures while ensuring the project’s completion.

Photo/POWERCHINA.