Huai'an Water Control Hub Scenic Area

Huai'an Water Control Hub Scenic Area

The Huai'an Water Control Hub Scenic Area is a National Water Conservancy Scenic Area.

The Huai'an Hub Project is situated on the Huaihe River Seaward Diversion Channel, north of the confluence of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Subei Irrigation Main Canal, in the southern suburbs of Chuzhou District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province. It is the second-level hub of the Huaihe River Seaward Diversion Channel and classified as a Grade I project. The main structures of the hub include the overpass culvert where the Seaward Diversion Channel crosses the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, culverts under the dike for the Guyan River and Qing’an River, the Quabei Sluice, and the dry sluice of the north dike of the Seaward Diversion Channel that crosses the Huaiyang Highway.

Construction of the Huai'an Hub Project began on October 20, 2000; the canal was successfully dammed on March 26, 2001; the navigation phase passed inspection on May 31, 2002, the channel was filled with water, and navigation resumed; underwater works of the overpass culvert passed water acceptance on December 28, 2002; and the entire Huai'an Hub Project was completed on October 21, 2003, with an estimated budget of 352.68 million yuan.

The main structure of the Huai'an Hub — the overpass culvert — features advanced design, complex structure, high technical content, and great construction difficulty. It is currently the largest waterborne interchange project in Asia. On June 28, 2003, the Huaihe River experienced

the second-largest basin-wide flood since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, second only to the 1954 flood. The Huai'an Hub Project withstood the test unprecedentedly and successfully discharged the floodwaters.

During construction, large-scale excavation of soft foundations, dewatering in ultra-large deep foundation pits using deep wells, and construction of thin-wall concrete for the culvert were successfully carried out. In particular, independently developed and successfully applied thin-wall concrete anti-cracking technology for a 100,000-cubic-meter structure with an ultra-long limit was used, resulting in zero cracks in the overpass culvert’s concrete. Expert assessment rated its technical level as internationally advanced.

The completed Huai'an Hub Project is elegant and beautiful, harmoniously integrated with the surrounding environment, and has earned its place among the National Water Conservancy Scenic Areas. The Huai'an Hub Project won the Ministry of Water Resources’ Gold Award for Excellent Design in 2004.

The two bridge towers, designed by Southeast University, are seven stories high and 33 meters tall. Their bases are clad in light-gray granite to resemble ancient city walls, while the upper sections feature the blue-tiled roofs of traditional Jianghuai dwellings, blending classical style with modern technology. Each tower contains an observation elevator, allowing visitors to reach the top. Standing more than 30 meters above ground, the view opens up dramatically, with the steel cable-stayed bridge below appearing like two giant dragons cradling the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal — forming a landmark attraction along the Seaward Diversion Channel.