The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in the Tianshan Mountains is expected to reduce travel time across the mountains from several hours to 20 minutes.
Beijing started construction in 2020 and finished almost a year and a half ahead of schedule.
“The winding mountain roads would often become icy in winter, and many trucks carrying coal, agricultural and livestock products were stuck,” Qadir Abliz, a truck driver, told Xinhua News.
It is a key project of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which stretches from the regional capital of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli County in southern Xinjiang.
The expressway is expected to be fully completed and open to traffic in 2025.
Driving time between the two locations will be reduced from around seven hours to just over three hours.
(Vijesti.ba)
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