The incredible new £3bn tunnel that will be world's longest

The incredible new £3bn tunnel that will be world's longest


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The world’s longest tunnel is currently being built in China and it is expected to take a huge 15 years to be completed. Costing a huge £3 billion and running under 13 miles of mountains,


the project is no easy build. Construction on the project began in 2016 and is due to complete in 2031, reports The Sun. The motorway tunnel is an ambitious project and will break records


once complete. Travel time will be significantly reduced and the tunnel, called Tianshan Shengli, is set to open to traffic in October 2025. Drivers will be able to get through the mountains


in just 20 minutes. At a total of 13.7 miles, the Tianshan Shengli tunnel will also cut travel time on the 300-mile journey from Urumqi to Korla, a major city in southern Xinjiang, to less


than two hours. With improved connectivity, the tunnel will boost regional economic growth and social development. Xu Tianchen, an expert from The Economist Intelligence Unit, explained the


strategic importance of the tunnel, reports The Sun. He said the tunnel could be a game-changing infrastructure for Central Asia that would spark increased economic activity. The expert


said: “Completion will certainly benefit trade and economic growth in the underdeveloped part of Xinjiang. “Central Asia provides a reasonable return-risk mix, especially with its rich


energy reserves and acceptable security situation.” In Europe, a record-breaking undersea passage called the Rogfast tunnel is also currently being built - it will cost a hefty £36 million


to build. The project will cut a 21-hour journey by half via the 16-mile crossing, it will stretch across Norway and will connect two major cities.