Han Ximn 1824295095@qq.com FROM a bird’s-eye view, the Western Artificial Island resembles a kite, with its diamond shape facilitating water flow. Covering 137,000 square meters, equivalent to 19 standard football pitches, this island was reclaimed from the sea. It serves various purposes, functioning as a transportation hub for the bridge and tunnel and also serving as an emergency response point. Equipped with fire and rescue stations, personnel, traffic police, road administration, and monitoring staff, the island ensures readiness for any situation. Within the tunnel, drivers in both directions are separated by walls, preventing visibility. A pipe rack for telecom cables, pipes, electricity, and firefighting services runs between the hollow walls and above emergency exits, providing support and safety mechanisms for emergencies. Chen Fan, a 33-year-old from Hunan Province, joined the construction of the Shenzhong Link immediately after graduating from Yunnan University in 2017. “We prepared a complete set of design for the construction of the Western Artificial Island in four months. But our proposal was turned down because hydrogeological conditions here are complex and the traditional steel tube cofferdam solution is not feasible,” said Chen. After months of work late into nights, Chen and his team innovatively proposed flexible plan of installing relatively sparse piles into the seabed with anti-wave sandbags being filled, which ultimately formed an island. This flexible solution is more suitable for shallow water areas and saves a significant amount of steel and large equipment investment. It is more efficient and convenient for dismantlement. The Eastern Artificial Island on the Shenzhen side is a major project that links the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway and the Shenzhong Tunnel. It provides a quick connection with the Qianhai area in Shenzhen. This infrastructure comprises an 855-meter-long mainline tunnel, a 480-meter-long weir tunnel and four interchange tunnels. | 