China wanted to cut a 3-hour trip to just 20 minutes, so it had an idea: to build a R$ 20.2 billion tunnel spanning 22 km, crossing 16 geological faults in the Tianshan Mountains.

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 16/05/2026 at 13:26

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With 22 kilometers, two parallel tubes, and a cost equivalent to R$ 20.2 billion, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel crosses the Tianshan Mountains and promises to speed up travel, cargo, and economic integration in Xinjiang

China inaugurated the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel on December 26 of last year, a project costing about £3 billion, approximately R$ 20.2 billion today, in the Tianshan Mountains, in Xinjiang, reducing a crossing from three hours to approximately 20 minutes.

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Tianshan Shengli Tunnel shortens the mountain crossing

With about 22 kilometers, approximately 13.75 miles, the road tunnel was opened to traffic as the centerpiece of the Urumqi-Yuli expressway, a project budgeted at £4.9 billion and considered strategic by Chinese authorities.

The structure has two parallel tubes, each with two traffic lanes. Before its opening, the passage through the mountainous region was described as arduous and took about three hours for drivers.

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Project is part of the Urumqi-Yuli expressway

The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel is part of the Urumqi-Yuli expressway, planned to shorten travel between important areas of the region.

The expectation is to reduce the time between Urumqi and Korla from more than seven hours to approximately three.

The two cities are among the main urban centers in Xinjiang. Through the existing road network, the expressway also connects to important economic regions of China.

Among them are Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region.

The project was presented as a regional connectivity advancement. The highway opened to traffic on December 26, 2025, has been treated by authorities as a strategic investment and a milestone in regional connectivity.

túnel da China, Tianshan Shengli, túnel gigante, Xinjiang, engenharia chinesa — Image: Reproduction

Construction faced geological faults and extreme climate

The construction of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel took approximately five years and crossed 16 zones of geological faults. In an 11-kilometer stretch, the project includes 14 bridges and five tunnels.

The described conditions involved high ground pressure, strong seismic activity, strict environmental requirements, extreme cold, and high altitude. The route crosses glaciers, grasslands, forested valleys, the Gobi Desert, and swamps.

Chinese authorities classified the tunnel as an engineering milestone. Song Hailiang, president of China Communications Construction Company, stated that the project set two world records, including the longest road tunnel in the world.

The second record mentioned was the road tunnel with the deepest vertical shaft. The combination of length, complex terrain, and execution time reinforced the technical dimension of the project.

Project expected to boost transport and tourism

With the opening, the expectation is an impact on goods transport, tourism, and economic integration between the north and south of Xinjiang. The reduction in travel time is the most visible point for drivers and companies.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, described the inauguration of the Urumqi-Yuli highway as a major leap in connectivity for Xinjiang. Ambassador Xie Feng stated that China was making history once again.

United Kingdom also plans tunnel under the Thames

The material also mentions plans for the future Lower Thames Crossing in the United Kingdom. The project would cost around £9 billion and includes 23 kilometers of new road.

The proposal includes Britain’s longest road tunnel, with a 4.2-kilometer double tunnel under the River Thames, linking Tilbury in Essex to Medway in Kent.

The crossing would connect with A2, M2, A13, and M25, creating links between London and the routes to Dover, responsible for half of the goods traded between Britain and continental Europe.

With information from The Sun.

China wanted to cut a 3-hour trip to just 20 minutes, so it had an idea: to build a R$ 20.2 billion tunnel spanning 22 km, crossing 16 geological faults in the Tianshan Mountains.

With 22 kilometers, two parallel tubes, and a cost equivalent to R$ 20.2 billion, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel crosses the Tianshan Mountains and promises to speed up travel, cargo, and economic integration in Xinjiang

Tianshan Shengli Tunnel shortens the mountain crossing

Project is part of the Urumqi-Yuli expressway

Construction faced geological faults and extreme climate

Project expected to boost transport and tourism

United Kingdom also plans tunnel under the Thames

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China wanted to cut a 3-hour trip to just 20 minutes, so it had an idea: to build a R$ 20.2 billion tunnel spanning 22 km, crossing 16 geological faults in the Tianshan Mountains.

With 22 kilometers, two parallel tubes, and a cost equivalent to R$ 20.2 billion, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel crosses the Tianshan Mountains and promises to speed up travel, cargo, and economic integration in Xinjiang

Tianshan Shengli Tunnel shortens the mountain crossing

Project is part of the Urumqi-Yuli expressway

Construction faced geological faults and extreme climate

Project expected to boost transport and tourism

United Kingdom also plans tunnel under the Thames

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

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