The finishing ceremony of a 6,042-meter six-lane traffic tunnel under the Yangtze River is held in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, on August 22, 2009. The 3.3-billion-yuan (US$483 million) traffic tunnel, which connects the city of Nanjing on both sides of the river, is expected to open for traffic in June next year. It is the third traffic tunnel built under the Yangtze River, China's longest river. [Xinhua]

A 6,042-meter six-lane traffic tunnel under the Yangtze River in Nanjing now spans both sides of the river as of Saturday.

It is the third traffic tunnel built under the Yangtze River, China's longest river.

The 3.3-billion-yuan (US$483 million) traffic tunnel, which connects the city on both sides of the river, is expected to open for traffic in June next year.

Cars will be able to travel at a speed of 80 km per hour in the tunnel, and traffic flow will actually double that across the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge to help ease traffic across the Nanjing section of the river, which lies inside the booming Yangtze River Delta.

A four-lane tunnel has been open for traffic in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province since December last year.

Another tunnel in Shanghai was built last September and is expected to be ready for traffic at the end of the year and before the city hosts the 2010 World Expo.

The 6,300-km long Yangtze River, which originates in northwest China's Qinghai Province and flows through 10 provinces and municipalities before emptying into the East China Sea, is a major transport link between west and east China. More than 100 bridges across the river are currently in use.