The $210 million, 109 km-long Xiaotang-Gantang Expressway, including 7 km of twin-tube tunnels, is under construction in south-east China through difficult terrain in ground comprising peltic sandstone and karstic limestone. Of the seven main tunnels, only Meiziao (780m/735m) and Shimen'ao (1,130m/1,290m) are fully excavated. Wequan (390m/355m) is well advanced, Pingshi (510m/505m) is halfway, Pishuang'ao (750m/760m) and Wukengba (1,333m/1,188m) are one-third complete, while the longest, Yangpeng (2,053m/2,110m), is only 25% complete. Major collapse on Yangpeng right tube last October displaced 4,000 cu m of rock and mud accompanied by an inflow of 2 cu m/sec of water, and recovery is still proceeding. At the same time, a smaller collapse in the right tube at the Zhuhai end of the Wukengba tunnel funnelled 30 m to surface and took a month to correct. Concrete lining is underway in all tubes. Project is funded 30% by World Bank and is scheduled for completion at end-2001. The owner is Guangdong Provincial Freeway Company, and the Engineer is a jv of Guangdong Research Institute and Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation. Concrete lining is underway in all tubes. Visit www.smec.com.au April 2000.