The Qionghai Grand Passage Across the Qiongzhou Strait: A Century Project Connecting Hainan and the Mainland

The Qionghai Grand Passage Across the Qiongzhou Strait: A Century Project Connecting Hainan and the MainlandHainan, China's second-largest island, is located in the South China Sea, separated from the mainland by the Qiongzhou Strait. As China's largest special economic zone, the launch and operation of Hainan's Free Trade Zone, together with the national strategic development of the "Beibu Gulf Economic Zone," have sparked a wave of strategic projects in the Beibu Gulf, starting with the "Pinglu Canal" in Guangxi

The Qionghai Grand Passage Across the Qiongzhou Strait: A Century Project Connecting Hainan and the Mainland

Hainan, China's second-largest island, is located in the South China Sea, separated from the mainland by the Qiongzhou Strait. As China's largest special economic zone, the launch and operation of Hainan's Free Trade Zone, together with the national strategic development of the "Beibu Gulf Economic Zone," have sparked a wave of strategic projects in the Beibu Gulf, starting with the "Pinglu Canal" in Guangxi. As Hainan's development ties with the mainland become increasingly frequent, the Qiongzhou Strait, the primary connection route between the two, currently relies mainly on air and sea transport, with sea transport being the most cost-effective, high-capacity, and direct transport method to Hainan Island.

The Qiongzhou Strait, stretching between Guangdong and Hainan, is approximately 80 kilometers long from east to west and 20 to 40 kilometers wide from north to south. It reaches a maximum width of 39.5 kilometers and a minimum width of 19.4 kilometers. The average depth is 44 meters, with the deepest point reaching 114 meters. This strait, connecting Hainan Island with the mainland and bridging the South China Sea and the Beibu Gulf, is undeniably significant for transportation. However, the current main transport method from the mainland to Hainan Island remains ferry services, which are prone to disruptions caused by extreme weather, holiday surges, cargo loading and unloading, leading to congestion of people and goods and hindering further development. As the "Hainan Free Trade Zone" and the "Beibu Gulf Economic Zone" mature and rise, the existing transport capacity will face even greater pressure.

To address transportation problems in the Qiongzhou Strait, numerous optimization solutions have been proposed, including the relatively radical "land reclamation" project, the relatively reasonable "sea transport optimization scheme," and the seabed tunnel and cross-sea bridge. Today, we will explore a series of solutions for the "Qionghai Grand Passage" project.

Sea Ferry Transport Scheme: Status and Challenges

Sea ferry transport is currently the main transportation mode between the mainland and Hainan Island, besides air transport. Goods, people, and railway carriages from both sides are transported across the strait by ferry, where they are unloaded and connected at the respective port terminals. This process requires significant manpower and time, leading to numerous inconveniences for travel between the two regions.

Furthermore, in the event of extreme weather conditions such as fog, strong convection, or typhoons, sea routes must be suspended, resulting in accumulation of goods and traffic jams, impacting port capacity, environmental hygiene, and other negative issues.

Currently, increasing the number of railway lines, port terminals, ferries, and transport frequencies, along with separating people and goods, can improve transport efficiency and reduce pressure on railway lines and port terminals. However, the sea ferry transport scheme cannot address the problem of operation during extreme weather.

Cross-Sea Bridge Scheme: Technically Feasible, Challenges Remain

The proposal for a cross-sea bridge over the Qiongzhou Strait has been circulating for quite some time. With China's steadily rising comprehensive national strength and maturing bridge construction technology, particularly after the completion and operation of the world's longest cross-sea bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (55 kilometers long), calls for a cross-sea bridge over the Qiongzhou Strait have intensified.

Compared to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the span of a Qiongzhou Strait cross-sea bridge is much shorter, with the widest point being only 39.5 kilometers. Constructing a combined road and rail cross-sea bridge, with the road section above and the railway section below, is feasible.

However, with an average depth of 44 meters and a maximum depth of 114 meters, the Qiongzhou Strait poses a significant challenge for bridge pier casting and construction. Moreover, a cross-sea bridge would also be subject to closure during extreme weather, failing to solve the transportation problem between the mainland and Hainan Island.

Seabed Tunnel Scheme: Technically Feasible, Risks to Be Assessed

Besides sea ferry transport and cross-sea bridges, the most notable option is the "seabed tunnel" scheme across the Qiongzhou Strait. On August 19, 2023, the China Railway Construction Corporation's Fourteenth Engineering Bureau, involved in the construction of the world's deepest seabed tunnel, the Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway, successfully reached a depth of 106 meters underwater, breaking a world record and signaling that the technical challenges of the future Qiongzhou Strait seabed tunnel project are no longer a barrier to its implementation.

However, with the Qiongzhou Strait situated in a seismically active area, characterized by strong winds and waves, frequent extreme weather, busy shipping lanes, and concerns about project funding, engineering difficulties, and uncertain safety factors, the Qiongzhou Strait seabed tunnel project has been shelved for a considerable time.

Land Reclamation Scheme: Impractical and Inadvisable

Compared to the relatively plausible schemes above, the idea of land reclamation in the Qiongzhou Strait to transform the strait into a continental bridge is the most radical. This scheme involves blocking the two ends of the strait and carrying out land reclamation to expand land area while simultaneously solving the obstruction of the strait. However, this project is factually impossible to realize. Apart from the immense scale and unattainable funding, the ecological consequences and the destruction of natural sea channels would be catastrophic even after completion of the project.

Optimized Scheme for Qionghai Grand Passage Project: Synergistic Advantages, Multi-pronged Approach

The Qionghai Grand Passage project combines the advantages of various schemes. In the initial phase, the project will focus on expanding ports, terminals, railways, ferries, and associated infrastructure on both sides of the Qiongzhou Strait to alleviate traffic congestion. In the later stages, the project will bypass the central region of the strait due to its deep water, strong winds and waves, and unstable geological structures. It will involve land reclamation to create artificial islands in the shallower waters on the outer sides of the strait, coupled with a cross-sea bridge, a seabed tunnel, and port terminal connections to address the long-standing challenges of the Qiongzhou Strait!

Conclusion

The Qiongzhou Strait "Qionghai Grand Passage" project is a century-long endeavor connecting Hainan with the mainland, facilitating the development of the Hainan Free Trade Zone and the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone. With continuous technological advancement and national policy support, the "Qionghai Grand Passage" project is expected to be realized eventually, contributing to Hainan's economic development and social progress.

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