The world’s longest expressway tunnel has opened to traffic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, capping five years of construction on a project designed to increase China’s links with Central Asia.
The 22.13km (13.75-mile) Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the centrepiece of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, officially opened on Friday, creating a 20-minute drive through the Tianshan Mountains that divide northern and southern Xinjiang.
The tunnel halves the travel time between the regional capital Urumqi and the city of Korla from over seven hours to around 3½ hours, according to state media.
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Song Hailiang, chairman of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), told state broadcaster CCTV that the tunnel “set two world records”.
“It is the longest expressway tunnel in the world and has the deepest vertical shaft for a highway tunnel,” Song said.
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Work started on the expressway in April 2020 and engineers had to confront a range of challenges from the terrain and environment.