Recently, the opening of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel marked the full completion of the Urumqi–Korla Uwei Expressway, a milestone widely described as one of China’s most demanding infrastructure projects.

At the heart of this achievement were three tunnel boring machines developed by Nanjing-based CCCC Tianhe: Tianshan, Shengli, and Shouchuang. Operating at altitudes above 3,000 meters and temperatures plunging to –35°C, the machines delivered a 98 percent localization rate and multiple world-first technologies, enabling the tunnel to break through ahead of schedule.

The result is transformative. Travel time between Urumqi and Korla has been reduced from nine hours to just three and a half, reshaping regional connectivity across southern Xinjiang.