Metro Line 13 Extension Expected to Ease Zhangjiang Commutes

The civil construction of the eastward extension of Shanghai's Metro Line 13 has been completed, the Metro operator Shentong said on Monday.

On December 11, the project finished its final tunnel section, with the main structure of Dangui Road Station topped out. This cleared the way for the next phase, including track laying, mechanical and electrical installation, and interior work.

The Line 13 east extension runs from Zhangjiang Road Station to Dangui Road Station, via Middle Gaoke Road Station, with a total length of about 4.52 kilometers.

The line is expected to largely improve commuting for residents and workers in Zhangjiang Town and the nearby industrial zone, said Lu Zhishuang, a project manager at Shentong Metro Construction Group.

Once in use, the extension is also expected to divert part of the passenger flow currently using Line 2 at Guanglan Road Station, helping to ease congestion on the existing route, Lu added.

Construction was complicated by challenging underground conditions, including abandoned building piles that lay directly along the tunnel alignment.

"The piles were no longer in use, but they were dense. We had to cut through them," explained Ding Lihong, an executive at Shanghai Tunnel Engineering & Rail Transit Design and Research Institute. The team deployed reinforced tunnel boring machines to cut through the obstacles in the affected areas.

Ding added that the project also utilized an AI-based control system during tunneling. It adjusted excavation parameters in real time using monitoring data, boosting precision and strengthening risk management for the underground construction work.

Track laying is scheduled to begin next month, followed by mechanical and electrical installation starting from late February. Interior work will proceed later next year, ahead of testing and eventual operation.