The main line of the Binhai Boulevard tunnel at the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base opened to traffic on May 27.

The 1.56-kilometer tunnel is part of a key renovation project on the boulevard. The 5.96-kilometer renovation project starts from the Shahe East Road Overpass that spans Binhai Boulevard in the west and extends to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway in the east, passing through Nanshan and Futian districts.

It includes the tunnel and a 4.39-kilometer ground renovation project. After renovation, the main line of the boulevard will be an eight-lane, two-way road.

Part of the tunnel of Binhai Boulevard at the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base is seen before it opened to traffic on the afternoon of May 27.  Lin Jianping

Two roads on the south side are being retained as temporary auxiliary lanes to ease traffic pressure for eastbound vehicles, which will alleviate congestion by increasing the flow of traffic by about 40%.

The remaining project will be finished later this year.

Four lanes in the tunnel — two for exiting and two for entering — will be connected with the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base’s underground road system. After traffic in this area moves underground, the ground space will be turned into a 100,000-square-meter green space — equivalent to 14 standard football pitches — that connects the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base with Shenzhen Bay Park.