China has opened the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, a 22.13-km expressway tunnel in Xinjiang province, claimed by the state to be the world's longest. The tunnel significantly reduces travel time through the Tianshan Mountains, cutting a journey of several hours to approximately 20 minutes. It is a key component of the new G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, designed to link northern and southern Xinjiang and facilitate regional transport. The project, which took five years to construct, involved an investment of 46.7 billion yuan.