China Completes Road Tunnel Under Yangtze River

The tunnel will be opened to the public late this year.

China has completed a road tunnel beneath the Yangtze River in the central city of Wuhan, marking the first such project on the river, known for having its waters controlled by the Three Gorges Dam.

The 3.6-km (2.2-mile) tunnel will cut travel time between the city's business district and the government and university district to seven minutes from half an hour, the official Xinhua news agency cited vice mayor Yin Weizhen as saying.

The tunnel will be opened to the public late this year, Xinhua said, adding that it would be able to withstand an earthquake of up to six on the Richter scale.

Wuhan is a major river port and logistics centre. China has been investing billions of dollars nationwide in improving its infrastructure.