On August 23, the "Tianshan" TBM of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel under the Xinjiang Wu-Yu Highway Package Project successfully crossed the largest and most dangerous fault zone, the F6 Borohoro-Aqikekuduke Fault Zone. Overcoming this biggest "roadblock" in tunnel construction means the tunnel project will enter the "fast lane."

　　It is understood that the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel crosses the Tianshan Mountains and has a total length of about 22.1 kilometers. It is currently the world's longest expressway tunnel and a controlling project of the entire line. It features "one long" (the world's longest expressway tunnel), "two deeps" (a maximum tunnel burial depth of about 1,112.6 meters and a maximum shaft depth of 702 meters), "three lows" (low temperature, low air pressure, and low oxygen content), "four highs" (high ground stress, high-pressure groundwater, high seismic intensity, and high environmental protection standards), and "five difficulties" (difficult exploration, difficult engineering design, difficult construction organization, difficult risk control, and difficult operation and maintenance).

　　The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel is a key controlling project of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project. The highway has a total length of 318.5 kilometers. Once the entire line is completed, the travel time between Urumqi and Yuli will be shortened from the current 7 hours to 3 hours, completely removing the transportation barrier between the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. It is of great significance for advancing the construction of Xinjiang's core area of the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and promoting economic and social development in northern and southern Xinjiang as well as the development of regional advantageous resources.

　　According to reports, the tunnel must cross 16 fault zones, among which the F6 Borohoro-Aqikekuduke Fault Zone is the largest and most dangerous. This fault zone is located about 1,900 meters from the entrance of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, with a total width of 440 meters and a core area of 100 meters. It contains more than 10 types of rock, including granodiorite, carbonaceous slate, quartz schist, and marble, and is known as a "geological museum." The geology is fragile, and the surrounding area has abundant geological activity and groundwater. During crossing, mud bursts, water inrushes, and large-scale collapses are highly likely, making it regarded as the biggest "roadblock" in tunnel construction.

　　To overcome this challenge and ensure smooth progress in tunnel construction, Cui Jingchuan noted that the project, for the first time in domestic expressway survey and design, used horizontal directional drilling for long-distance drilling of 2,271 meters to conduct borehole television inspection and coring, accurately identifying the engineering geological and hydrogeological conditions from the entrance to the F6 area. The project also used, for the first time in the field of highway tunnels, the combined process of "TBM center drift + main tunnel drill-and-blast method," strengthening initial support through multiple methods, and ultimately enabling the TBM to safely and quickly pass through the fault zone and continue advancing deep into the Tianshan Mountains.