China bores through world's longest tunnel in Xinjiang

ISTANBUL

China on Monday bored through the world’s longest tunnel measuring 22.1 kilometers (13.7 miles) in western province of Xinjiang, state media reported on Monday.

The expressway Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in the Tianshan mountains runs through northern and southern parts of the western province and is expected to cut travel time within the autonomous region to 20 minutes.

Beijing started construction in 2020 and finished it almost one and a half year ahead of the schedule.

“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,” Qadir Abliz, a truck driver, told Xinhua News.

Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, a key project of Urumqi-Yuli expressway, is expected to be operational next year.​​​​​​​