China Unveils World's Longest Expressway Tunnel, Slashing Travel Time to 20 Mins

• China has opened the Tianshan Shengli tunnel in Xinjiang, claiming it as the world's longest expressway tunnel at 22.13 kilometers.
• The tunnel drastically cuts travel time through the central Tianshan Mountains, reducing journeys from several hours to approximately 20 minutes.
• It holds two world records: longest expressway tunnel and deepest vertical shaft among highway tunnels.
• The tunnel is a key part of the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, connecting Urumqi and Korla and reducing travel between them from 7 to 3 hours.
• The project, including the 324.7 km expressway, cost approximately 6.63 billion US dollars and took five years to complete.

Why It Matters: China's new Tianshan Shengli tunnel sets world records, significantly improving Xinjiang travel.