China on Wednesday deployed a giant self-developed tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the construction of the world's longest underwater highway TBM tunnel.

The new machine, named "Jianghai," has a maximum excavation diameter of 16.6 meters. It is approximately 145 meters long and weighs an impressive 5,000 tonnes.

The machine is used in the construction of the Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel in east China's Jiangsu Province. The tunnel is a key project to forge a major trans-river road link under China's longest river, connecting Haimen in the city of Nantong with Taicang in the city of Suzhou.

Source: Xinhua