Looking south from the shimmering waves of Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan, cars struggle forward on bumpy mountain roads. Outside the window, the towering mountains and steep ridges are like frozen giant waves, tightly surrounding this land. For residents who have lived here for generations, mountains are both a home and an insurmountable barrier. However, as the roar of the Chinese road and bridge engineering convoy breaks the silence of the valley, a new passage connecting China and Kyrgyzstan is extending above this "barrier" with difficulty and determination.

Overcoming the natural barrier

This 161.4 kilometer long highway is destined to leave a significant mark in the transportation history of Kyrgyzstan. It not only aims to fill the gap in cross-border transportation trunk lines in southeastern Jilin, but also a competition with the limits of nature. The average altitude of the entire line exceeds 3000 meters, and the narrowest part of the construction road is less than 3 meters. There are 32 consecutive sharp turns densely distributed on a short winding mountain road. At the entrance of the Suyao Ke Tunnel at an altitude of over 3800 meters, even in summer, the temperature is only 8 degrees Celsius. As a key control project of the entire line, this 5-kilometer-long tunnel is expected to take 5 years to complete due to crossing the snow covered Tianshan Mountains all year round. Due to the extreme cold and oxygen deficiency, as well as the complex geology, every inch of excavation is a dual test of the will and technology of the builders.

Craftsmanship in road construction

Faced with frozen soil, snow damage, and fragile ecological environment, Chinese builders have come up with targeted solutions. Advanced techniques for high-altitude and ultra long tunnel excavation, permafrost remediation, and slope protection are widely used on construction sites. The quality supervision personnel of Jifang observed that the Chinese team not only scientifically organized the construction, but also specially designed snow shelters to cope with frequent snow damage and ensure the safety of the road operation in the later stage. This refined operation that adapts to the local environment ensures a first-class level of engineering quality and has also earned a solid reputation for "Made in China" locally.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

The road ahead is promising

Road connectivity leads to financial connectivity. The endpoint of this highway points directly to the Biedili Port on the China Kyrgyzstan border. In the future, the transportation distance of goods entering from Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang, China will be shortened by about 500 kilometers, and the freight time can be saved by about 12 hours. Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan have depicted a vivid scene: after the road is repaired, Chinese tourists can enter the country through the Biedili Port in the morning and enjoy a leisurely swim by the Issyk Kul Lake at noon. This will not only greatly facilitate mineral development and economic and trade exchanges between the two countries, but also promote the magnificent scenery of southeastern Kyrgyzstan to the world.

For the local people, this road is not only a physical passage, but also a hopeful path to a happy life. As expected by local media, traveling along this road to China will no longer be an unattainable dream when it is opened to traffic.Editor/Yang Meiling