World’s Longest Expressway Tunnel Opens in China — Historic Opening

The Tian Shan mountain range in central Xinjiang stretches nearly 2,500 kilometers, dividing the region into northern and southern parts. In the past, crossing this range required navigating dangerous and complex mountain paths, some reaching elevations of 4,000 meters. During winter, heavy snowfall often closed these routes, forcing travelers to take long detours.

Thanks to modern engineering, China has now overcome this natural barrier with the construction of a tunnel at an altitude of 3,000 meters, where temperatures can drop to “minus 42 degrees Celsius” in winter. The area is also highly earthquake-prone, containing complex fault lines, making the tunnel a major engineering challenge.

According to Miao Baodong, an engineer with China Communications Construction Company, the project involved “surveying and designing extremely long tunnels, using modern construction techniques, and smart technology–based solutions.” The tunnel took five years to complete.

The Tian Shan Shengli Tunnel, built at an estimated cost of $5 billion, forms the central section of the expressway connecting Urumqi and Yili. It is expected not only to improve connectivity between northern and southern Xinjiang but also to showcase China’s advanced infrastructure capabilities.

This project highlights the remarkable progress China has achieved in infrastructure over the past two decades, underscoring the nation’s engineering expertise and modern construction capabilities.