Departing from Aksu city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, a 4-hour drive leads to the heart of the West Tianshan Mountains, where the construction site of the West Tianshan tunnel on the G219 highway stands.

This pivotal segment of the G219 route connects Zhaosu county in Ili Kazak autonomous region and Wensu county in Aksu city, serving as a major passageway through the West Tianshan Mountains.

The focal point of the project is the West Tianshan tunnel stretching for 15.7 kilometers. This tunnel holds the titles of being the longest and the first in multiple areas of domestic road construction. The tunnel is located in the cold and high-altitude region and in a seismic zone that records more earthquakes at the southern foot of the West Tianshan Mountains. The ecology here is sensitive and fragile, and the construction difficulty can be considered as one of the toughest in the history of road construction.

In the initial stages of construction, project personnel faced multiple challenges arising from the remote location. There's no water, no electricity, no roads, no internet connection, and no people in the middle of the Tianshan range.

In response to the complex geological conditions of the West Tianshan tunnel, innovative improvements have been made to ensure efficient, safe, and precise excavation. Several measures have been taken to secure green construction.

"Our tunnel is located within the Tomur Peak glacier protection area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the overall ecological environment is fragile. To ensure environmental protection, we have introduced new energy equipment and brought in electricity from outside to create high-voltage charging stations to make sure that our new energy equipment can be charged promptly," said Sun Zhanjun, deputy manager of Xinjiang G219 project phase EPC-2.

"During the Spring Festival, we will continue construction as usual. The tunnel work will also proceed as scheduled. In order to ensure the smooth completion of this tunnel, we will not take a break during this Spring Festival," said Sun.

Connecting the northern and southern regions of the Tianshan range, the Zhaosu-Wensu highway aims for completion and opening to traffic in 2027.

Once the project is completed, the driving distance between Wensu county and Zhaosu county through the Tianshan Mountains will be reduced to 440 kilometers from over 1,700 kilometers. It will significantly boost the growth of tourism in the area and attract more tourists to the region.