World’s Longest Expressway Tunnel Opens in China

China has officially inaugurated the world’s longest expressway tunnel, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Stretching 22.13 kilometers through the Tianshan mountain range, the tunnel significantly improves regional connectivity by reducing a previously difficult journey of several hours to just 20 minutes. The tunnel is part of the G0711 Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, cutting travel time between northern Urumqi and southern Korla from around seven hours to approximately three hours. Authorities state that the project will strengthen transportation efficiency, enhance logistics movement, and support long-term economic growth in the region. The tunnel is being described as a major engineering milestone and a transformative development for transport infrastructure across mountainous terrain.