In a monumental stride for infrastructure and regional connectivity, China has inaugurated the world's longest expressway tunnel, carving a path through the formidable Tianshan mountain range. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, now open to traffic, stands as a testament to ambitious engineering and strategic planning in the country's western frontiers.
A Record-Shattering Engineering Marvel
Opened on December 26, 2025, as reported by the South China Morning Post, the tunnel stretches an impressive 22.13 kilometres. It forms the critical core of the Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, a project conceived to bridge the long-standing geographical divide between northern and southern Xinjiang. The tunnel's completion, after five years of gruelling construction that began in April 2020, has dramatically transformed travel. The arduous seven-hour journey across the mountains has been reduced to a mere three and a half hours, with the actual tunnel crossing taking just around 20 minutes.
This project is not just long; it is deep and complex. The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel has secured two world records:
- It is the longest expressway tunnel ever constructed globally.
- It features the deepest vertical shaft used in any highway tunnel worldwide.
The engineering challenges were immense. At its deepest point, the tunnel runs 1,112 metres below the altitude of its entrance. Construction crews drilled access shafts more than 700 metres deep to ferry workers, machinery, and materials to the construction face, navigating terrain nearly 3,000 metres above sea level and enduring temperatures as low as minus 42 degrees Celsius.
Strategic and Economic Imperatives Behind the Tunnel
The driving force behind this colossal project extends far beyond mere convenience. The tunnel was built with clear economic and strategic objectives to overcome Xinjiang's logistical nightmares, where vast deserts and towering mountain ranges have historically hampered the movement of goods and people. By piercing directly through the Tianshan Mountains, the expressway creates a high-speed artery linking Urumqi, the regional capital and northern industrial hub, with key southern cities like Korla.
More significantly, this infrastructure leap is a cornerstone of China's broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Xinjiang shares borders with eight nations, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, making it a natural gateway to Eurasia. The enhanced road connectivity fortifies overland links with Central and South Asia, plugging Chinese markets directly into vital economic corridors. This move undeniably reinforces Xinjiang's pivotal role in both domestic and international trade networks.
The Future of Connectivity in China's West
The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel is a flagship project signalling China's unwavering resolve to integrate its most remote and challenging territories. It showcases a formidable capacity for extreme engineering and sets a precedent for future ventures. One such ambitious project on the horizon is a proposed 1,980-kilometre railway line connecting Hotan in Xinjiang to Lhasa in Tibet, often dubbed another "project of the century."
With traffic now flowing through this record-breaking tunnel, China has not only demonstrated its technical prowess but has also taken a concrete step towards reshaping the economic and logistical landscape of its western regions. The tunnel is more than a passage through rock; it is a conduit for trade, integration, and strategic influence, marking a new chapter in transcontinental connectivity.
