The World's Longest Toll Road Tunnel Opens Through the Earth's Core!
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Toll Road Tunnel, touted as the world's longest toll road tunnel, officially opened to traffic on Friday (December 26, 2025) local time.
The tunnel, which traverses the central Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, cuts travel time from several hours to just 20 minutes.
As a major route connecting city clusters in northern and southern Xinjiang, the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Toll Road, including the tunnel, officially began operations on the same day.
Through the existing toll road network, this new route connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, thus becoming a major hub connecting China's eastern economic belt with countries in the Eurasian region.
"This is an all-weather transportation corridor with high efficiency and large capacity that will significantly enhance the resilience and security of national energy resources and agricultural supply chains," said Huang Tao, Deputy Head of the Transportation Bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, as quoted by chinadaily.com, Friday (December 26, 2025).
As is known, the Tianshan Mountains stretch for approximately 2,500 kilometers in central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south.
The opening of this expressway will reduce travel time between the two major cities from approximately seven hours to approximately three hours, promoting economic integration between northern and southern Xinjiang and opening a new channel for external exchanges.
"Previously, shipping raw materials from northern Xinjiang to Yuli took three to four days, but now it can be done in one to two days," said Tao Feng, Manager of Yuli Lihua Textile Co., Ltd., adding that the company's transportation costs and time will be significantly reduced.
This toll road was built over five years, with a total length of 324.7 kilometers and an investment value of 46.7 billion yuan (approximately US$6.63 billion).
"Road construction in the Tianshan Mountains faces extreme challenges at every stage," said Zhou Zheng, project General Manager of China Communications Construction Company.
He explained that the complex terrain along the route includes an 11-kilometer segment featuring 14 bridges and five tunnels, resulting in a bridge-to-tunnel ratio exceeding 90 percent.
The tunnel construction faced world-class challenges due to the project's massive scale. The tunnel is 22.13 kilometers long with a maximum depth of 1,112.2 meters.
The tunnel traverses 16 geological fault zones and faces five major challenges: high earth pressure, strong seismic intensity, stringent environmental requirements, extreme temperatures, and high-altitude conditions.
To address these challenges, Chinese engineers implemented a number of innovative solutions, including constructing environmentally friendly access roads to minimize ecological disruption while increasing material transport efficiency.
They also adopted a construction method that cut the construction time of the main tunnel by more than a quarter and deployed the world's first high-pressure hard rock tunnel boring machine, developed independently by China, to address various inefficiencies in hard rock excavation.
The tunnel, which traverses the central Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, cuts travel time from several hours to just 20 minutes.
As a major route connecting city clusters in northern and southern Xinjiang, the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Toll Road, including the tunnel, officially began operations on the same day.
Through the existing toll road network, this new route connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, thus becoming a major hub connecting China's eastern economic belt with countries in the Eurasian region.
"This is an all-weather transportation corridor with high efficiency and large capacity that will significantly enhance the resilience and security of national energy resources and agricultural supply chains," said Huang Tao, Deputy Head of the Transportation Bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, as quoted by chinadaily.com, Friday (December 26, 2025).
As is known, the Tianshan Mountains stretch for approximately 2,500 kilometers in central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south.
The opening of this expressway will reduce travel time between the two major cities from approximately seven hours to approximately three hours, promoting economic integration between northern and southern Xinjiang and opening a new channel for external exchanges.
"Previously, shipping raw materials from northern Xinjiang to Yuli took three to four days, but now it can be done in one to two days," said Tao Feng, Manager of Yuli Lihua Textile Co., Ltd., adding that the company's transportation costs and time will be significantly reduced.
This toll road was built over five years, with a total length of 324.7 kilometers and an investment value of 46.7 billion yuan (approximately US$6.63 billion).
"Road construction in the Tianshan Mountains faces extreme challenges at every stage," said Zhou Zheng, project General Manager of China Communications Construction Company.
He explained that the complex terrain along the route includes an 11-kilometer segment featuring 14 bridges and five tunnels, resulting in a bridge-to-tunnel ratio exceeding 90 percent.
The tunnel construction faced world-class challenges due to the project's massive scale. The tunnel is 22.13 kilometers long with a maximum depth of 1,112.2 meters.
The tunnel traverses 16 geological fault zones and faces five major challenges: high earth pressure, strong seismic intensity, stringent environmental requirements, extreme temperatures, and high-altitude conditions.
To address these challenges, Chinese engineers implemented a number of innovative solutions, including constructing environmentally friendly access roads to minimize ecological disruption while increasing material transport efficiency.
They also adopted a construction method that cut the construction time of the main tunnel by more than a quarter and deployed the world's first high-pressure hard rock tunnel boring machine, developed independently by China, to address various inefficiencies in hard rock excavation.
Latest News
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Toll Road Tunnel, touted as the world's longest toll road tunnel, officially opened to traffic on Friday (December 26, 2025) local time.
The tunnel, which traverses the central Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, cuts travel time from several hours to just 20 minutes.
As a major route connecting city clusters in northern and southern Xinjiang, the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Toll Road, including the tunnel, officially began operations on the same day.
Through the existing toll road network, this new route connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, thus becoming a major hub connecting China's eastern economic belt with countries in the Eurasian region.
"This is an all-weather transportation corridor with high efficiency and large capacity that will significantly enhance the resilience and security of national energy resources and agricultural supply chains," said Huang Tao, Deputy Head of the Transportation Bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, as quoted by chinadaily.com, Friday (December 26, 2025).
As is known, the Tianshan Mountains stretch for approximately 2,500 kilometers in central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south.
The opening of this expressway will reduce travel time between the two major cities from approximately seven hours to approximately three hours, promoting economic integration between northern and southern Xinjiang and opening a new channel for external exchanges.
"Previously, shipping raw materials from northern Xinjiang to Yuli took three to four days, but now it can be done in one to two days," said Tao Feng, Manager of Yuli Lihua Textile Co., Ltd., adding that the company's transportation costs and time will be significantly reduced.
This toll road was built over five years, with a total length of 324.7 kilometers and an investment value of 46.7 billion yuan (approximately US.63 billion).
"Road construction in the Tianshan Mountains faces extreme challenges at every stage," said Zhou Zheng, project General Manager of China Communications Construction Company.
He explained that the complex terrain along the route includes an 11-kilometer segment featuring 14 bridges and five tunnels, resulting in a bridge-to-tunnel ratio exceeding 90 percent.
The tunnel construction faced world-class challenges due to the project's massive scale. The tunnel is 22.13 kilometers long with a maximum depth of 1,112.2 meters.
The tunnel traverses 16 geological fault zones and faces five major challenges: high earth pressure, strong seismic intensity, stringent environmental requirements, extreme temperatures, and high-altitude conditions.
To address these challenges, Chinese engineers implemented a number of innovative solutions, including constructing environmentally friendly access roads to minimize ecological disruption while increasing material transport efficiency.
They also adopted a construction method that cut the construction time of the main tunnel by more than a quarter and deployed the world's first high-pressure hard rock tunnel boring machine, developed independently by China, to address various inefficiencies in hard rock excavation.
The tunnel, which traverses the central Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, cuts travel time from several hours to just 20 minutes.
As a major route connecting city clusters in northern and southern Xinjiang, the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Toll Road, including the tunnel, officially began operations on the same day.
Through the existing toll road network, this new route connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, thus becoming a major hub connecting China's eastern economic belt with countries in the Eurasian region.
"This is an all-weather transportation corridor with high efficiency and large capacity that will significantly enhance the resilience and security of national energy resources and agricultural supply chains," said Huang Tao, Deputy Head of the Transportation Bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, as quoted by chinadaily.com, Friday (December 26, 2025).
As is known, the Tianshan Mountains stretch for approximately 2,500 kilometers in central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south.
The opening of this expressway will reduce travel time between the two major cities from approximately seven hours to approximately three hours, promoting economic integration between northern and southern Xinjiang and opening a new channel for external exchanges.
"Previously, shipping raw materials from northern Xinjiang to Yuli took three to four days, but now it can be done in one to two days," said Tao Feng, Manager of Yuli Lihua Textile Co., Ltd., adding that the company's transportation costs and time will be significantly reduced.
This toll road was built over five years, with a total length of 324.7 kilometers and an investment value of 46.7 billion yuan (approximately US.63 billion).
"Road construction in the Tianshan Mountains faces extreme challenges at every stage," said Zhou Zheng, project General Manager of China Communications Construction Company.
He explained that the complex terrain along the route includes an 11-kilometer segment featuring 14 bridges and five tunnels, resulting in a bridge-to-tunnel ratio exceeding 90 percent.
The tunnel construction faced world-class challenges due to the project's massive scale. The tunnel is 22.13 kilometers long with a maximum depth of 1,112.2 meters.
The tunnel traverses 16 geological fault zones and faces five major challenges: high earth pressure, strong seismic intensity, stringent environmental requirements, extreme temperatures, and high-altitude conditions.
To address these challenges, Chinese engineers implemented a number of innovative solutions, including constructing environmentally friendly access roads to minimize ecological disruption while increasing material transport efficiency.
They also adopted a construction method that cut the construction time of the main tunnel by more than a quarter and deployed the world's first high-pressure hard rock tunnel boring machine, developed independently by China, to address various inefficiencies in hard rock excavation.
PT China Communications Construction Indonesia (PT CCCI) is a subsidiary company of CCCC (China Communications Constructions Company), a major player in infrastructure namely bridges, highway, railways and including ports. CCCC’s extensive experience and capabilities in port development make it a key player in the global infrastructure sector and driving significant development in international trade and logistic. Therefore, earlier this year, PT. CCCI was pleased that it has officially appointed as the strategic partner for ABUPI. Both PT. CCCI and ABUPI hope that this partnership could lead to a synergistic relationship where both parties benefit from shared knowledge, resources, and strategic initiatives. By leveraging its strengths and resources, PT. CCCI can significantly enhance ABUPI’s capabilities, driving growth and success for both organizations.
PT China Communications Indonesia’s Business Development Director, Ms Titien Syukur attended The Association of Indonesian Port Business Entities (ABUPI) National Seminar and National Working Meeting (Rakernas) which was held Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Aryaduta Hotel Menteng, Jakarta.
Present at this national seminar was the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi who was officiated and opened the seminar. The Minister of Transportation emphasizes the port as a key logistics hub and with effective operation, good corporate governance, and high service and technical standards will make it an asset for supporting Indonesia Emas 2045. He stressed the need to improve infrastructure and technology, enhance human resources and competencies, and foster synergy among business players. He commended ABUPI for organizing the seminar with various associations and stakeholders in attendance.
This National Seminar presented 4 speakers themed “Port Services Industry as a Bridge to a Golden Indonesia 2045”, the 4 speakers include Director General of Maritime Affairs Antoni Arif Priadi, Representative from KADIN Khoiri Sutomo, Representative of the Indonesian National Shipowner Association Darmansyah Tanamas and General Chair of the Indonesian Logistic and Forwarder Association Akbar Djohan.
In the National Seminar, the 4 speakers conveyed that there are several main requirements for ports to achieve a Golden Indonesia 2045, namely adequate infrastructure, availability of human resources, application of technology, planning and economic growth as well as public and private collaboration for port infrastructure.
The outcomes of the National Working Meeting encompassed key initiatives, such as establishing a task force to assess diverse port sector regulations, forging partnerships with global port associations, and establishing a dedicated committee in preparation for the 2025 ABUPI National Conference.
PT China Communications Indonesia’s Business Development Director, Ms Titien Syukur attended The Association of Indonesian Port Business Entities (ABUPI) National Seminar and National Working Meeting (Rakernas) which was held Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Aryaduta Hotel Menteng, Jakarta.
Present at this national seminar was the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi who was officiated and opened the seminar. The Minister of Transportation emphasizes the port as a key logistics hub and with effective operation, good corporate governance, and high service and technical standards will make it an asset for supporting Indonesia Emas 2045. He stressed the need to improve infrastructure and technology, enhance human resources and competencies, and foster synergy among business players. He commended ABUPI for organizing the seminar with various associations and stakeholders in attendance.
This National Seminar presented 4 speakers themed “Port Services Industry as a Bridge to a Golden Indonesia 2045”, the 4 speakers include Director General of Maritime Affairs Antoni Arif Priadi, Representative from KADIN Khoiri Sutomo, Representative of the Indonesian National Shipowner Association Darmansyah Tanamas and General Chair of the Indonesian Logistic and Forwarder Association Akbar Djohan.
In the National Seminar, the 4 speakers conveyed that there are several main requirements for ports to achieve a Golden Indonesia 2045, namely adequate infrastructure, availability of human resources, application of technology, planning and economic growth as well as public and private collaboration for port infrastructure.
The outcomes of the National Working Meeting encompassed key initiatives, such as establishing a task force to assess diverse port sector regulations, forging partnerships with global port associations, and establishing a dedicated committee in preparation for the 2025 ABUPI National Conference.
PT Celebes Railway Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT China Communications construction Indonesia has collaborated in the event activities with the Directorate General of Railways on the Rail + Metro China 2024 event that took place on 5th to 7th June in Shanghai. The event stands as one of the premier business-to-business platforms across China and the Asia-Pacific region, serving as a pivotal event for trade, procurement, and promotion within the rail transit sectors.
From that event, the Directorate General of Railways, the Ministry of Transportation had offered 3 potential projects for Indonesia’s railways development to Investors. The three projects are the Bandung Urban Rail Train (KA), Airport Train and Urban Train in the Capital City of Nusantara, East Kalimantan. All three projects were part of the Directorate General of Railways 2024 Strategic Plan.
PT China Communications Construction Indonesia’s Technical Director, Mr Rosa Bovananto and currently representing PT.CCCI as the Operation & Maintenance Director in PT.CRI was participated in the event. This exhibition is committed to delivering actionable industry insights and enhancing its standing within the sector by emphasizing the calibre and substance of its conference offerings. Attendees have the opportunity to engage through attending presentations, exhibiting on showroom floors, and presenting their cutting-edge technologies and product advancements to fellow industry experts.
Other business entities from Indonesia that took part of the event include; PT Adhi Karya Tbk, PT Wijaya Karya Beton Tbk, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, PT. Kereta Commuter Indonesia and PT Len Railways System.
From that event, the Directorate General of Railways, the Ministry of Transportation had offered 3 potential projects for Indonesia’s railways development to Investors. The three projects are the Bandung Urban Rail Train (KA), Airport Train and Urban Train in the Capital City of Nusantara, East Kalimantan. All three projects were part of the Directorate General of Railways 2024 Strategic Plan.
PT China Communications Construction Indonesia’s Technical Director, Mr Rosa Bovananto and currently representing PT.CCCI as the Operation & Maintenance Director in PT.CRI was participated in the event. This exhibition is committed to delivering actionable industry insights and enhancing its standing within the sector by emphasizing the calibre and substance of its conference offerings. Attendees have the opportunity to engage through attending presentations, exhibiting on showroom floors, and presenting their cutting-edge technologies and product advancements to fellow industry experts.
Other business entities from Indonesia that took part of the event include; PT Adhi Karya Tbk, PT Wijaya Karya Beton Tbk, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, PT. Kereta Commuter Indonesia and PT Len Railways System.
On Tuesday June 4th, China Communications Construction Indonesia attended 20th Indonesia City Expo (ICE) held in Balikpapan Sport and Convention Center, a collaboration by The Balikpapan City Government (Pemkot) with Kinarya Ciptra Kreasi. The event itself was a series of the XVII National Working Meeting (Rakernas) of the Association of All Indonesian City Government (APEKSI) in 2024.
The 20th ICE event presented 155 exhibition stands, food trucks and the ICE Business Forum. The ICE Business Forum event is a seminar that discusses regional development which was attended by members of APEKSI and Investors from within and outside the country. The forum presented speakers such as Insyafiah, Director of Funding and Investment of IKN Authority, Saribua Siahaan from the Indonesian Ministry of Investment, Gensly from the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs, Budi Widihartanto from Bank Indonesia East Kalimantan.
On this occasion, the speakers explained several presentations related to economic development trends in urban areas and the future, and how smart city development, can help economic transformation and economic growth in various regions in Indonesia.
The 20th ICE event presented 155 exhibition stands, food trucks and the ICE Business Forum. The ICE Business Forum event is a seminar that discusses regional development which was attended by members of APEKSI and Investors from within and outside the country. The forum presented speakers such as Insyafiah, Director of Funding and Investment of IKN Authority, Saribua Siahaan from the Indonesian Ministry of Investment, Gensly from the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs, Budi Widihartanto from Bank Indonesia East Kalimantan.
On this occasion, the speakers explained several presentations related to economic development trends in urban areas and the future, and how smart city development, can help economic transformation and economic growth in various regions in Indonesia.