China's Xinjiang completes world's longest expressway tunnel through challenging mountains

A worker drives out of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel along the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 30, 2024. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

URUMQI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The 22.13-kilometer tunnel will reduce the time it takes to drive across the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains from several hours to about 20 minutes once operational.

It is a key project of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which runs from the regional capital of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli County in southern Xinjiang. The expressway is expected to be fully completed and open to traffic in 2025. The driving time between the two locations will be reduced from about seven hours to just over three hours.

Qadir Abliz, a truck driver from Urumqi who makes regular trips between the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, said the winding mountain roads would often freeze in the winter, and many trucks carrying coal, agricultural produce and livestock products would be stranded on the way across.

"There will be no need to worry about such situations anymore when the tunnel opens next year," he said.

The construction of the tunnel began in April 2020 and has faced challenges such as extreme cold, high altitudes, high ground stress, strong seismic activity and strict environmental requirements, according to Mao Jinbo, an engineer on the project.

The Tianshan Mountains are known as a "geological museum," featuring numerous fault zones, 16 of which the tunnel passes through. Its No. 2 ventilation shaft reaches a depth of 706 meters -- taller than China's highest building, the Shanghai Tower.

To address the immense challenges, the builders broke down the construction into smaller, more manageable segments, allowing for faster excavation. As a result, the original construction time was shortened by more than 25 percent.

To minimize the environmental impact on the Tianshan No. 1 Glacier and snow leopard habitats, on-site facilities were established to contain wastewater and fully utilize gravel, helping the project meet key environmental protection goals.

A drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2024 shows the exit of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in Hejing County of Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

A drone photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024 shows the entrance of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in Urumqi County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

This photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024 shows a ceremony held to mark the drill-through of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel along the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

A drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2024 shows the exit of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in Hejing County of Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024 shows a ceremony held to mark the drill-through of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel along the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024 shows a ceremony held to mark the drill-through of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel along the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, completed tunneling Monday morning, paving the way for the opening of a new shortcut linking southern and northern parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)