July 3, 2024, marks another milestone in China's transportation construction field-the Xinjiang West Tianshan Extra-Long Tunnel Project officially started full-scale excavation work amid the roar of the "Wensu" hard rock tunnel boring machine. This super project, carefully surveyed and designed by the Central Enterprise China Communications Second Highway Engineering Institute in Wuhan, is not only an innovative work in the history of China's highway tunnel construction, but also an important link connecting the border and promoting regional development.

As a key node of the National Highway 219 Zhaosu to Wensu section (Zhaowen Highway), the West Tianshan Tunnel is unprecedentedly difficult to build and the challenges are unprecedentedly arduous. The tunnel is 15.7 kilometers long and is the first highway tunnel in China that directly crosses the glacier. It is also the deepest highway tunnel in China, with a maximum burial depth of an astonishing 2,365 meters. Construction in such an extreme high-cold, high-latitude, high-altitude and high-seismic intensity environment not only tests the wisdom and courage of engineering and technical personnel, but also demonstrates China's ability and determination to carry out large-scale infrastructure construction under complex geological conditions.

To ensure construction safety and quality, the tunnel designers cleverly used advanced technologies such as horizontal directional drilling, successfully crossed a large gravel accumulation layer of 204 meters, and carried out effective water discharge operations in advance, greatly reducing the safety risks during construction. This innovative measure not only reflects the wisdom of Chinese transportation builders in solving problems under complex geological conditions, but also provides valuable experience for subsequent similar projects.

The completion of the construction of Zhaowen Highway will greatly promote the interconnection between Xinjiang and neighboring countries, quickly connect China and Russia, China and Kazakhstan, China and Tajikistan, China and Kyrgyzstan, China and Pakistan, and become an important channel connecting Central Asia, West Asia and even Europe. At the same time, the highway will also connect 11 important border ports such as Alashankou and major transportation routes from Xinjiang to Tibet, further optimize and improve the transportation network layout in western my country, and promote the rapid development of the regional economy and national unity and progress.

In short, the comprehensive promotion of the Xinjiang West Tianshan Super-Long Tunnel Project is not only a major breakthrough in China's transportation construction, but also an important practice for the in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the promotion of building a community with a shared future for mankind. We have reason to believe that in the near future, this super highway that crosses the Tianshan Mountains and connects the four directions will become another golden channel connecting China and the world.Editor/Cheng Ting