Cutting through icy and undulating peaks and valleys, the Urumqi–Yuli Expressway winds like a ribbon through the winter landscape of China's far-western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Opened on December 26, 2025, the expressway spans over 300 kilometers, featuring the world's longest expressway tunnel – the 22km Tianshan Shengli Tunnel – crossing the Tianshan Mountains. 

For centuries, the Tianshan Mountains have divided the region into north and south, forming a formidable barrier to modern transport links. And crossing the Tianshan Mountains could take several hours requiring travel on winding roads at elevations above 4,000 meters and often involving winter closures or lengthy detours. Now, with the tunnel, the crossing takes just 20 minutes.

Today, as a core artery of Xinjiang's road network and a new vital transport lifeline between north and south, the expressway seamlessly connects three areas of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, namely Urumqi, Kashi and Khorgos, boosting logistics and reshaping Xinjiang's connectivity.