Boring of world's longest expressway tunnel completed in China's Xinjiang

Boring of the world's longest expressway tunnel, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, was completed on 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 part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which will run from the regional capital of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli County in southern Xinjiang. The expressway is expected to open to traffic in 2025. The driving time between the two locations will be reduced from about seven hours to just over three hours.

National Highway 216 currently connects Urumqi and Korla, with a total length of about 470 kilometers and an estimated driving time of around seven hours. There are only two bus services operating between the two cities each day.

Once the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway opens, travel between Urumqi and Korla will be greatly enhanced, creating new opportunities for local transportation and tourism.

(With input from Xinhua)