• High stress and soft/hard rock strata coupling expand the plastic zone and alter its shape, leading to arch shoulder deformation.
• Decreased vertical distance of space staggered roadway and insufficient support bearing capacity exacerbate shoulder and side deformation.
• A collaborative support strategy combining unloading control, strong support, and differential support effectively controls roadway deformation within 8% of section size.
• The proposed optimization scheme significantly reduces plastic zone range, solving the difficult support problem in deep high-stress roadways.