On 30 April, the breakthrough ceremony for the "Qiyuanhao" RTBM Tunnel of our Yuen Long South Phase I Site Formation and Infrastructure Project (hereinafter referred to as the "Yuen Long South Project") was grandly held at the construction site. A number of Hong Kong LegCo Members, District Councilors, Mr Fong Hok-shing, Director of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), Mr Ho On-sing, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), and Mr Chow Kin-tung, President of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), together with other distinguished guests from the HKSAR Government and the construction industry, attended the ceremony to jointly witness this important project milestone.

At the ceremony, Mr Fong Hok-shing, Director of CEDD, delivered a speech in which he highly commended and fully affirmed the Yuen Long South Project for its high efficiency in RTBM tunnel construction, excellent safety management standards, outstanding cost-effectiveness, and the innovative modular RTBM design. He also expressed his appreciation for  the project team’s dedication, hard work and professional capabilities.

The rectangular tunnel of the Yuen Long South Project passes under the busy Yuen Long Expressway, with shallow soil cover, congested underground utilities, poor geological conditions and limited construction space, presenting immense construction challenges. To overcome these challenges, the project team confronted the issues head-on with precise strategies and solutions. Through the innovative modular design of the RTBM, the team successfully overcame a series of technical challenges in transportation, hoisting and tunnel receiving. Meanwhile, the project adopted a range of innovative monitoring technologies, including an automatic remote road settlement control system, ground-penetrating radar, and distributed acoustic-optical fiber sensing technology. Ultimately, the tunnel construction was successfully completed in just one month, achieving the goals of high efficiency, safety and quality.

The smooth completion of the rectangular tunnel for the Yuen Long South Project fully demonstrates the professional technical strength and innovation capability of CRBC’s project team. Its outstanding construction performance has been widely recognized and praised by the Hong Kong Legislative Council, District Councils, HKSAR Government departments and the industry, providing a replicable and referenceable technical pathway for the delivery of future similar projects in Hong Kong.