Construction Starts on Key Tunnels for Xinjiang's G3033 Kui-Du-Ku Expressway

Main body tunnel construction officially began on October 9 for the Kezhayi and Yuximolegai extra-long tunnels on the G3033 Kui-Du-Ku Expressway in Xinjiang. Once completed, the 393-kilometer highway will reduce travel time across the Tianshan Mountains from 14 hours to 4 hours and enable year-round, all-weather traffic. As the highway project with the largest single investment and highest technical difficulty currently under construction in China, it will unlock a major transportation artery between northern and southern Xinjiang. Technically, it highlights modern infrastructure trends by integrating AI large models for advance geological prediction and automated drill-and-blast operations. The two key tunnels stretch over 15 kilometers each, with subterranean depths up to 1,652 meters, traversing over 20 geological fracture zones with severe hazards like rockbursts and high-pressure water inflows. To accelerate construction, engineers are using a 'long tunnel, short excavation' approach with 7 inclined shafts alongside fully mechanized drill-and-blast equipment linked via AI data streams.