The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel traverses geologically complex terrain and dramatically reduces travel time in northwestern China
Last week, China inaugurated the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the largest road tunnel in the country and the second largest in the world, with 22.13 kilometers in length. The record for the longest tunnel belongs to the Lærdal Tunnel in Norway, with 24.51 kilometers.
Strategically located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the tunnel reduces travel time from hours to a few minutes. This speed is due to its construction: with a depth of 1.1 kilometers, the work crosses 16 very complex terrains, marked by geological faults, in addition to facing high tension on the ground, intense seismic activity and extreme cold.
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There were five years of intense works to improve road mobility on Chinese roads, with an investment of US$ 6.63 billion. However, this tunnel is not the only solution inaugurated this year in China.
Also inaugurated was the G0711 Urumqi–Yuli highway, a major transport route that connects the urban centers of northern and southern Xinjiang and reduces travel time between Urumqi and Korla from seven to three hours. In addition, the world’s tallest bridge opened in China’s Guizhou Province, which is 625 meters high and has a total length of 2,890 meters, reducing travel time between the cities of Anlong and Zhenfeng from three to one hour.
