Tunneling to a future of prosperity

Athunderous explosion on Dec 30 echoed through the heart of the snow-covered Tianshan Mountains, marking the final breakthrough of the world's longest expressway tunnel under construction — the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel. The 22.13-kilometer marvel, part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is set to transform travel across the Tianshan range, reducing the journey from three hours to just 20 minutes.