Photo shows one side of the Jueba Mountain Tunnel (toward Dengba Village, Qoiden Township, Mangkam County).

The warm winter sun streams through the verdant pine and cypress forests of Jueba Mountain in Mangkam County, Qamdo City, Xizang Autonomous Region, casting dappled shadows on the empty highway. Where a once-bustling line of stalls once sold local specialties at the mountaintop viewing platform, now only the lone stone monument inscribed with "Jueba Mountain" stands in solitude.

Since the Jueba Mountain Tunnel opened in June 2024, daily traffic on the pass—once exceeding 2,000 vehicles—has dropped sharply.

Jueba Mountain, located between Mangkam and Zogang counties, was known for its perilous 29-kilometer mountain road with an elevation drop of over 1,500 meters. Despite a peak of only 3,900 meters, the pass had become a well-known hazard for drivers.

The tunnel has now turned this perilous route into a safe passage.

A Landmark Project on the Sichuan-Xizang Highway

The Jueba Mountain Tunnel is currently the longest two-way, single-tube highway tunnel in Xizang. The project includes a 6,995-meter main tunnel, a 6,940-meter pilot tunnel, a 327-meter bridge, and 10 kilometers of third-class highway, with a total investment of 2 billion yuan, according to Chen Linjie, Head of the Planning and Contract Department of the S521 Project, Xizang Transportation Development Group Co., Ltd., and former Director of the Jueba Mountain Tunnel Project Command.

Construction began in 2018, and the tunnel opened to traffic on June 30, 2024. It crosses two fault fracture zones and four water-rich areas, overcoming world-class challenges in long-distance tunneling, ventilation, smoke exhaust, and reverse-slope drainage under low-oxygen and low-temperature conditions.

The project team developed key techniques for extra-long tunnels in cold regions with deep overburden, water-rich conditions, and squeezing fault fracture zones. The technology has been recognized internationally and earned a second-class Science and Technology Progress Award from the China Highway Construction Association, providing valuable experience for future tunnel projects in similar environments.

"It used to take over an hour to cross Jueba Mountain, even in an off-road vehicle. Now it takes just 10 minutes," Chen said. "Travel on the Sichuan-Xizang Highway is safer, faster, and cheaper."

A Smooth Journey

At the Bridge over Jueba Mountain, vehicles pass in under a minute on average. Meanwhile, the old mountain road on the right sees no traffic for hours.

Mr. Feng, a truck driver from Henan Province with more than 20 years on the Sichuan-Xizang Highway, was taking a break by the bridge. He and his wife were organizing cargo and checking his vehicle.

"The old mountain road was a real challenge," Feng said.

"Crossing Jueba Mountain took over six hours and 800 yuan in fuel. Sharp bends required reversing several times, and passing oncoming vehicles was especially difficult."

Feng noted that the biggest issue with the old road was safety—winter made it more dangerous with snow and ice.

"Thanks to the Party and government, travel is now safer, faster, and more convenient," he added.

The Old Road's Final Role

Near the viewing platform, a branch of the old road leads to Qoiden Village, the seat of the government of Qoiden Township.

"When the first phase of Provincial Highway 521 from Rongme to Chutsankha opens in 2027, access to Qoiden Township will follow the Lancang River south, bypassing Jueba Mountain," Chen Linjie explained. "By then, aside from foresters, there will be virtually no vehicles on this road."

At a ranger station near the fork, reporters met Nyima, a forest ranger from Dengba Village.

"You're the first group of people I've seen this morning," the elderly man said with visible emotion. "This mountaintop used to bustle with truck drivers, tourists, and vendors—more lively than our village. We rangers enjoyed chatting with them."

Despite fewer visitors, Nyima continues to patrol the mountain daily, sometimes alone all day.

When told that even Qoiden Township traffic will bypass the old route, he was wistful but thoughtful:"Fewer vehicles on the mountain mean more convenience down below. Traveling from our township to Mangkam County will become much easier."

Indeed, the silence of this road reflects the prosperity of our times.

Reporter: Wen Kai, Phuntsog Namgyal

Translator: Yang Xiaofeng, Luo Rongting

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen