Tarim Desert Highway

PetroChina gas station in the middle of the desert

The Tarim Desert Highway (Mandarin Chinese: 塔里木沙漠公路), also known as the Cross-Desert Highway (CDH), crosses the Taklamakan Desert from north to south. The highway links the cities of Luntai and Minfeng on the northern and southern edges of the Tarim Basin. The total length of the highway is 552 km; approximately 446 km of the highway cross uninhabited areas covered by shifting sand dunes, making it the longest such highway in the world.

The highway links China National Highway 314 and China National Highway 315.

History

Construction on the highway began in 1993 because of expansion in the petroleum industry, requiring fast shipping across the Taklamakan desert. Construction was completed in 1995.

Along the highway. The vegetation on each side can be seen, as well as a blue pump house in the distance.

Maintenance

To prevent the shifting sands from covering the highway, bushes and other vegetation were planted next to the highway to anchor the sand with their roots. A massive irrigation system was constructed to pump water for the vegetation along the highway.

Services

At the halfway point along the desert highway, there are a few restaurants and a gas station. Except for pump house maintenance workers, the region is otherwise entirely uninhabited.

References

• Baidu Baike article about the Tarim Desert Highway. (In Chinese.)
• People's Daily article about the highway