World's highest highway tunnel open to traffic in Tibet
The world's highest highway tunnel was open to traffic on Friday at an altitude of over 4,750 meters above sea level in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The two-way tunnel is over 5.7 km long, which is a part of the 400-km highway linking the regional capital of Lhasa with Nyingchi in the southeast of Tibet.
Construction of the tunnel started in 2015 on the 5,018-meter-high Mila Mountain, and it was completed on Monday, helping shorten the 18-km distance over the mountain to 5.7 km.
Gong Bin, project manager of Mila Mountain Tunnel of the China Railway No. 2 Bureau, said that more than 10 technological breakthroughs have been made in the course of the construction, such as improving the survey accuracy of mountain tunnels in extremely cold weather and at high altitudes.
He said in addition to coldness and lack of oxygen, over 2,000 construction workers faced the challenges of the inconvenience of transporting living and construction materials to the site.
"We have worked here for more than four years and lived in makeshift houses at the entrance to the tunnel," said Xu Yong, Party chief of the construction project.
He said the highway is an important channel to the eastern part of Tibet, which can help boost tourism, industrial development and bring traffic convenience to local people.
Related News
-
Tibet’s Gyirong county creates a mesmerizing sceneGyirong county is known as the "backyard garden of Mount Qomolangma".
-
Tibet shows it cares for a cleaner Mt QomolangmaNamgyal carries some essential equipment along with him while working on the Tibetan plateau.
-
The United States' new tactics of interfering in the internal affairs of ChinaIt must be stressed that the Tibetan affairs are entirely China's internal affairs and are not allowed...
-
Movie on Chinese mountain climbers filmed in TibetA movie about Chinese mountain climbers tackling the world's highest mountain, was filmed in Tibet.
-
Sayings of 11th Panchen Lama for 60th anniversary of democratic reform in TibetOn the afternoon of April 10, the 11th Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo came to visit the exhibition for ...
-
Prominent Belgian sinologist says nobody can deny rapid economic development of TibetNo one can deny the rapid social and economic development in Tibet Autonomous Region over the past few...
Tibet Stories
Former serf Sonam Ngodrup: Can't forget the hard days of sleeping in the sheep pen
"Now the days are getting better and better. If I get sick, I have medical insurance. Housin...
Editor’s Choice
- Tibet shows it cares for a cleaner Mt Qomolangma
- The United States' new tactics of interfering in the internal affairs of China
- Prominent Belgian sinologist says nobody can deny rapid economic development of Tibet
- Tibet's cultural industry sees sound development
- 11th Panchen Lama: abolition of serfdom engraved in the minds of the people
