China takes another step towards its plan for global dominance by investing US$600 million in a megaproject that resurrects the Silk Road in the Taklamakan desert

China innovates in engineering and builds a 446 km road in the Tarim desert. For US$600 million, the project changes the country's direction in the oil sector, logistics, infrastructure and much more.

China, known for its ambitious infrastructure projects, once again surprises the world with a monumental project. The construction of a 446 km road that crosses the inhospitable Taklamakan desert, in the heart of Asia, represents a milestone in civil engineering and a rebirth of the legendary Silk Road. With an investment of US$600 million, China challenges the limits of engineering and connects remote regions, revitalizing ancient trade routes and boosting economic development in the Xinjiang region.

However, this megawork it also raises environmental and social concerns, such as habitat fragmentation and the potential displacement of local communities. The road, which revives the ancient Silk Road, places China in a crucial strategic position, strengthening its commercial and political relations with countries in Asia and Europe.

How the need for a 446 km road in the Tarim desert arose?

You rarely hear about Taclamacã desert outside of China. This desert has an oil reserve capable of completely supplying China without depending on external resources.

This is the largest desert on the planet and is located in western China, in the region known as Xinjiang. For a long time, the Taclamacã region was a suitcase without a handle for China: vToo precious to be thrown away and too bad to carry. This situation began to change in the 90s, when they discovered that there was a large oil reserve in this desert.

Deng Xiaoping, Former President of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference analyzed the power of this region and decided to make the most of what it had to offer and in 1992 began the construction of the 446 km road in the Tarim Desert. A project was drawn up to connect by road to the states of Lintai and Nia, located to the north and south, respectively.

From then on, it was necessary to build branches in this immense field of oil like branches coming out of the trunk of a tree. The total length of this road exceeded 550 km and many Western experts described the project as too bold, extremely costly and pointless.

Main objective of the project

The construction of this road is in line with China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect Asia with Europe and Africa through an infrastructure network. By crossing the Taklamakan Desert, the new highway opens up new trade routes and strengthens China's strategic position in the region.

Furthermore, the work aims to boost the economic development of the Xinjiang region, rich in natural resources but historically isolated.

Work on the 446 km road in the Tarim Desert in China

In fact, Taclamacã is a region completely devoid of people with no infrastructure. Furthermore, unlike the Sahara desert and the deserts of the Arabian peninsula, which is mostly a stony desert, the desert in China is a sea of ​​sand with dunes over 20 m high. These dunes could completely cover the roads and render the entire effort completely useless.

But in 1995 the 446 km road in the Tarim desert was completed and the road, where humanity had not yet set foot for several centuries, was completed. Small towns have been built, where drivers can fill up on fuel, rest, talk to their family on the phone and recently it is even possible to use the internet.

The 446 km road in the Tarim desert has become a topic talked about around the world. As it became possible to easily transport engineers and workers to the place where the oil was buried, China began to extract oil from this region and in a short time they managed to achieve this great feat. However, China's challenge with the Tarim desert road did not end there. 

Challenges facing China

After a while the sand covered the road completely without stopping and, to remove it, it was necessary to invest a large amount of time. It cost 1 billion dollars to build 14 kilometer of the track and if it were necessary to carry out periodic maintenance it would require an even greater amount.

To combat the wave of earth that could sink the road within a few years, engineers considered some solutions and, in the end, it was proposed to build a gutter or a barrier. China has already built the famous Great Wall of China, but building something like that again would require a lot of resources.

Fortunately, salvation came from nature itself and despite the Taclamacã desert being dry, they discovered underground water in the desert, thus finding a simpler and more beautiful solution. All you had to do was grow more plants around the track. In this way, it was possible to prevent sand from entering the road.