World's longest expressway tunnel opens to traffic in Xinjiang

The tunnel's construction saw world-class challenges due to its extraordinary scale. It spans 22.13 kilometers, reaches a maximum burial depth of 1,112.2 meters, crosses 16 geological fault zones and faces five major difficulties -- high ground stress, high seismic intensity, stringent environmental requirements, extreme cold and high altitude.

To address these challenges, Chinese builders implemented innovative solutions: constructing eco-friendly access roads to minimize ecological disruption and improve material transport efficiency; adopting a construction method that shortened the main tunnel's construction period by over a quarter; and deploying China's independently developed global-first pressurized hard rock tunnel boring machine to overcome industry inefficiencies in hard rock excavation.

The expressway traverses diverse landscapes, allowing tourists to experience the Tianshan Mountains' glaciers, pastoral grasslands, forested valleys, Gobi desert and wetlands while witnessing the project's commitment to ecological conservation.

"Day trips between northern and southern Xinjiang may become routine, attracting more tourists," said Han Jun, a long-distance bus driver who frequently travels between the regions.

"Xinjiang's expressway length has exceeded 8,000 kilometers, while the total length of expressways and first-class highways has surpassed 13,000 kilometers," said Guo Sheng, deputy director of the regional transport department.

He emphasized that as more expressways and first-class highways traverse the Tianshan Mountains, they will accelerate the two-way flow of commercial logistics and cultural tourism resources between northern and southern Xinjiang, injecting strong momentum into the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.