World's longest expressway tunnel built in Xinjiang

China completed on Monday the construction of the world's longest expressway tunnel through snow-covered mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, marking a significant milestone in its infrastructure development.

Once operational, the 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Tunnel will reduce the travel time through the Tianshan Mountains — one of the longest mountain ranges in the world — from three hours to about 20 minutes.

It will significantly boost connectivity between northern and southern Xinjiang and help the region, which is a core area on the Silk Road Economic Belt, further open up to Eurasian countries, the regional government said.