(ECNS) -- In northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Tunnel -- the world's longest expressway tunnel-- opened to traffic Friday.

It forms a key section of the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Expressway that traverses the Tianshan Mountains.

With a maximum designed speed of 100 km/h, the tunnel has reduced travel time across the Tianshan Mountains from about three hours to approximately 20 minutes.

Photo taken on Dec. 23, 2025 shows the exit of Tianshan Shengli Tunnel on Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (File photo/China News Service)

To address driver fatigue in the ultra-long tunnel, engineers created three scenic zones, transforming a lengthy drive into a more visually engaging experience. Four pairs of vertical shafts were also built to enhance air circulation and improve driving comfort.

Li Yafei, deputy director of the Construction Management Division of the Xinjiang Department of Transport, said the Urumqi–Weili Expressway links the Urumqi metropolitan area with northern Xinjiang's urban belt and southern Xinjiang's city cluster, enabling high-speed connectivity between the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin.

The expressway strengthens Xinjiang's internal connectivity and enhances cross-regional links, Li said.

With the expressway now fully operational, driving time from Urumqi to Korla, south of the Tianshan Mountains, has been cut from around seven hours to just over three hours. The once-envisioned journey of "admiring snow in northern Xinjiang in the morning and desert landscapes in southern Xinjiang by noon" now becomes a reality.

Local resident Hanati said the opening of the expressway has made travel easier on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains and allowed herders in nearby townships to transport livestock more efficiently.

Hanati said that in his parents' generation, herders moved cattle and sheep on foot during seasonal migrations, a journey that could take days. Now, they can access the expressway near their homes and reach pastures in less than an hour.

Zhang Xiaoxu, a local entrepreneur born after 1995 who runs a homestay in Zhongliang Village, said he decided to return home to start his business after learning the expressway would pass near the village.

The opening of the Urumqi–Weili Expressway has significantly improved local accessibility and encouraged more villagers to open homestays, Zhang said. "When the road opens, opportunities follow."

The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, the shortcut linking Urumqi and southern Xinjiang, spans 324.7 kilometers with a total investment of 46.7 billion yuan. The project was completed after more than five years of construction.

(By Gong Weiwe)