In seasonally frozen regions, the drainage ditch of highway tunnels is usually set below the maximum frost depth. Hence, the deeply buried drainage ditch is often used, which increases the cost, difficulty, and time of tunnel construction. And it affects the stability of the surrounding rock and the tunnel structure safety. To solve these difficulties, this study investigated the optimal design of buried depth of central drainage ditch by numerical simulation. Based on a tunnel in Northwest China, a transient heat transfer model, which involves heat conduction and phase transition, was established. Then, the influences of different water amounts and thermal insulation technologies on the minimum buried depth of central drainage ditch were investigated. The results indicate that the thermal insulation layer, regardless of whether it is an internal thermal insulation layer, external thermal insulation layer, or foam concrete backfilled in invert arch, can prevent the drainage ditch from freezing and increase its elevation. The findings of this study can be helpful in optimizing the buried depth, selecting reasonable thermal insulation technology for central drainage ditch in seasonally frozen regions.