The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, which traverses the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened to traffic on Friday after more than five years of construction, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and enabling faster, more efficient movement of goods and services across the region. The expressway is a core component of the G0711 national highway network, spanning 324.7 kilometers. Stretching 2,500 kilometers, the Tianshan Mountains span central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south. With the opening of the expressway, travel time between these two cities is reduced from seven hours to about three hours. As a key component of the expressway and the world's longest expressway tunnel, the 22.13-km Tianshan Shengli Tunnel officially opened to traffic on the same day. The tunnel's construction incorporated multiple cutting-edge technologies and innovations, including advanced survey and design methods for ultra-long tunnels and intelligent construction techniques. The expressway connects Urumqi with the northern city belt and the southern urban clusters of Xinjiang, linking the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin. It enables rapid transportation between Urumqi, Kashgar, and Khorgos, strengthening Xinjiang’s role as a strategic hub for both the domestic market and international trade. Shotlist: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Dec 25, 2025: 1. Various of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, traffic; Beijing, China - Dec 25, 2025 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Song Hailiang, chairman, China Communications Construction (ending with shot 3): "We have established a relatively systematic, comprehensive, and highly efficient management system for major engineering technological innovation across the entire expressway, and have accumulated extensive construction and management experience in delivering mega-projects under extreme environmental conditions."; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Dec 25, 2025 3. Various of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway; 4. Tianshan Shengli Tunnel; 5. Screen showing monitoring platform of Tianshan Shengli Tunnel; 6. Aerial shots of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, traffic; FILE: Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Date Unknown 7. Urumqi Area of China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone; FILE: Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Date Unknown 8. Aerial shot of Kashgar Area of China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone; FILE: Khorgos City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Date Unknown 9. Aerial shots of Khorgos Area of China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone; FILE: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Date Unknown 10. Aerial shots of truck driving on road; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Dec 25, 2025 11. Various of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, traffic; 12. Aerial shot of livestock farm; 13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Ruihong, chairwoman and general manager, Xinjiang Ruiyuan Dairy (starting with shots 11-12/ending with shot 14): "With the expressway now operational, business opportunities are flowing in, and many inland companies are coming to sign agreements with us."; 14. Aerial shot of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway; Beijing, China - Dec 25, 2025 15. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhou Rongfeng, director general, Highway Bureau, Ministry of Transport (starting with shot 14/ending with shot 16): "The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway significantly improves Xinjiang’s connectivity with the eastern coastal regions and the New International Land–Sea Corridor, supporting the development of a modern, comprehensive, three-dimensional transportation network and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation."; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Dec 25, 2025 16. Aerial shots of Urumqi-Yuli Expressway. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]