Located in busy downtown area,Wucunshan tunnel on JC3 bid section of airport highway in Xiamen is a highway tunnel consisting of 6 lanes in both directions. Due to the soft surrounding ground, large excavation span and shallow depth of Wucunshan tunnel, which goes underneath 67 buildings with shallow foundations, there exist great difficulties and risks in the construction of the tunnel. The settlement control countermeasures in respect of excavation methods, building consolidations, ground reinforcement, construction technology and construction monitoring that are taken during the excavation of the tunnel are presented in the paper.