Yellow River Jiluo Road Tunnel extension opens, boosting Jinan's connectivity

The extension project of the Yellow River Jiluo Road Tunnel opened to traffic on Aug 10, shortening the travel time for local residents from western Jinan to the city's central urban area to just 10 minutes.

The tunnel passes beneath the Handan-Jinan Railway and Queshan Reservoir, ending at National Highway 308, with a total length of 4,328 meters. It is a combined road-rail dual-tube structure. The upper layer features a two-way, six-lane highway designed for speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, with the lower layer reserved for rail transit.

The tunnel's design reflects the harmony of nature, history and culture. Inspired by the natural surroundings – with mountains to the south and water to the north – it greets travelers with breathtaking scenery. The tunnel ceiling is painted in a signature spring-water blue, featuring a 300-meter-long starry dome at its center.

The tunnel includes a 2,045-meter shield section, excavated with two tunnel boring machines. The project team guaranteed zero pollution, zero leakage and zero emissions to the Queshan Reservoir through the use of technological breakthroughs, maintaining high standards of quality, safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

The tunnel is a major part of the national strategy to protect the ecology of the Yellow River Basin and ensure its high-quality development. It will also connect Jinan's central urban area and the Jinan Start-up Area for Growth Drivers Transformation in western Jinan, support urban expansion and optimize the city's traffic network on both banks of the Yellow River.