The longest railway tunnel. The world's longest tunnel opened in Switzerland. The longest tunnels in the world: undersea connection between Japan and South Korea

The longest road tunnel in the world is the Lärdal Tunnel., its length: 24.51 km.
The Lärdal tunnel is located in Norway, on the E16 highway, 200 km from the city of Bergen.
The main purpose of the tunnel is to shorten the former route from the capital of Norway, Oslo, to the city of Bergen.
To be more precise, not only to reduce, but to secure and speed up. Previously, the road between these cities passed through difficult mountain sections with serpentines, which was extremely unsafe, especially in winter; there were sections of the road with ferry crossings.
In 1975, parliament decided to design a road between Oslo and Bergen through the Filefjell mountain range, a massif with mountain peaks up to 2000 meters above sea level.
In 1995, the Norwegian Parliament confirmed the earlier decision and passed a law on the construction of the tunnel. Construction of this tunnel began in 1995, and it was opened for operation in 2000.

The construction cost was US$113,000,000.
A total of 2,500,000 cubic meters of rock were removed from the mountain during the construction of the tunnel.
When constructing the structure, Norwegian engineers divided it into 4 almost equal parts. Between these parts there are large artificial grottoes where a car can be parked if necessary. This is also a kind of psychological relief for drivers - there is the possibility of stopping for rest or other purposes.

All along the road in the tunnel is illuminated by light with a bluish tint; in the grottoes the light is bright blue with orange illumination from below, which is close to the color of sunlight.

Emergency telephones for rescuers are located every 250 meters.
Mobile phones operate in the tunnel using special repeaters.
Fire extinguishers are attached to the tunnel arches every 125 meters.
Along the route, electronic signs are installed that signal and warn the driver in case of danger, for example in the event of an accident, deep in the tunnel.

Emergency niches have been created every 500 meters for emergency stopping of vehicles.
Photo sensors are installed at the entrance and exit of the tunnel, which, according to the program, detect the number of cars entering and exiting. This is also one of the security measures.

Interesting feature! The tunnel itself is mostly straight, essentially 25.5 km of straight road. In Norway, and especially near Bergen, there are almost no straight sections of roads, and drivers in the tunnel began to exceed the speed limit. In order to record violations, devices were installed to measure the speed of cars moving inside the tunnel.
Forced ventilation has been created in the tunnel to clean the air from exhaust gases.

I didn’t make any further ado and simply asked: It would be interesting to read about tunnels, railways and others. The longest, the most complex, etc. Norway, Switzerland, other countries... in China they seem to be building very impressive tunnels now.

First, remember, well, now let's get to the records. And we will start with the longest tunnel.

The construction of the Gotthard railway tunnel on the border of Switzerland and Italy is being completed. It is the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT, Gotthard-Basistunnel) that will connect Switzerland and Italy, and will also become the longest and deepest tunnel in the world. The southern portal is located near the village of Bodio, and the northern one is near the village of Erstfed. It was created for rail transport across the Alps.

Today, the longest underground route is considered to be the Japanese Seikan Tunnel, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. Its length excluding aqueducts is 53.6 kilometers. Its other famous brother, which ranks second, is the Eurotunnel between England and France, its length is about 51 km.

Upon completion of work on the Gotthard Tunnel, the length of this beauty will be 57 kilometers, and taking into account service and pedestrian passages - 153.4 km. And then it will become the very best tunnel in the world.

The tunnel consists of two parallel underground highways for two-way traffic, connected by galleries every 325 m, along which trains will travel in opposite directions. Inside the tunnel there will be two emergency railway stations connected to the surface by emergency shafts.

In general, the idea of ​​​​building such a tunnel was proposed by the government back in 1947, but the first construction version was prepared only in 1962. However, the main problem was the design - which tunnel to choose, a single tunnel with two single-tracks or two separate single-tracks? However, the decision on this issue dragged on for an extremely long time and was finally made in 1998, when an additional tax on heavy transport was introduced in the country.

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But in fact, the first exploration work began much earlier, back in 1993, and the main ones only in 2001. In total, about 3,500 workers were hired, which included not only builders, but also geologists, engineers and planners. Work was carried out continuously, seven days a week and 24 hours a day. To dig a tunnel in rocks, both several tunnel boring systems and drilling and blasting operations were used. The tunnel has two common “trunks”, under which trains will travel in both directions. Along the route there are two railway stations, at which it will also be possible to change trains. By the way, the total construction costs are just over 10 billion US dollars.

Regular traffic through the tunnel will open in 2016. Experts say that the most advanced technologies are used in construction; special drilling rigs with a disk diameter of 10 meters began work on opposite sides. On October 15, 2010, under the gaze of all the world's television companies, the last 3 meters of rock collapsed - the tunnel was completely built.

And now I will tell you about the longest water tunnel. For some reason it is in first place on Wikipedia for the longest tunnels. The longest water tunnel is in England, it began to be built in the 18th century, and now its length is 154,000 meters - this is the Thirlmere aqueduct

It was built from 1890 to 1925

Thirlmere Dam Raven_Crag

Recently, it has turned out that the word “most” is increasingly being used in relation to China - the most populous country, the fastest growing economy, one of the most ancient civilizations on Earth. Not surprisingly, the world's widest tunnel was also built in China. The opening of the world's widest tunnel took place on October 31, 2009.

This tunnel, running along the Yangtze River and connecting Shanghai with Chongming Dao Island, is part of a twenty-five and a half kilometer tunnel-bridge project with a budget of 12.6 billion yuan ($1.84 billion).

The internal diameter of this tunnel structure is 13.7 meters, length – 8900 meters. During the construction of the tunnel by Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. a drilling rig with a diameter of 15.43 meters was used, which is also an absolute world record.

The road from Shanghai to Chungming Dao Island through a tunnel through which a railway line and a six-lane highway passes takes just over twenty minutes.

Chongming Dao Island is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River and covers an area of ​​1,200 square kilometers, which is equal to 20 percent of the entire territory of the Shanghai region.

Due to poor transport links, the development of the region was hampered; its share in Shanghai's total GDP was only one and a half percent.

The Chinese authorities plan to turn Chongmingdao into an example of a modern territorial unit with developed infrastructure and meeting all environmental requirements. The new transport system is also expected to help attract additional investment to the region.

Here are some more unusual tunnels: The Tower Tunnel, Japan One of the most interesting buildings in Japan is the Gate Tower in Osaka, Japan. This building is the result of a rare compromise between a landowner and the Japanese government.

The expressway runs through the 6th, 7th and 8th floors of this 16-story office building - right through the building. On the first floor, the floor information says that floors 6-8 are “rented by Hanshin Expressway.” The tunnel is not connected to the building in any way. It is supported on special supports and enclosed in a special structure, which helps protect the building from noise and vibration.

Here's another interesting example:

Tunnel Log, California, USA

Tunnel Log - "Tunnel Log" is a tunnel that was carved into a giant fallen sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park, California, USA. The tree, 84 meters high and 6.4 meters in diameter, fell in 1937 due to natural causes and blocked the road. The following year, park staff cut a 2.4-meter (8-foot) high and 5.2-meter (17-foot) wide tunnel into the tree, making the road passable again.

Well, again China:

One of the most unusual roads in the world is the Guolian Tunnel, which is located high in the mountains of Henan Province, China.

This tunnel is only a few decades old, but during this time Guolian has become one of the most famous roads on the highways, all thanks to its unusual location and amazing design! The fact is that the Guolian tunnel is laid in rock and is a bizarre cave, more than a kilometer long!

Read. We've already discussed this.

Now let's look at the deepest sea tunnel in the world:

Turkey has successfully tested the recently completed railway tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, Reuters reports. Its length is 13.6 km, maximum depth is 56 m. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan launched the first test train through the tunnel in August 2013.

The completion of the tunnel has been postponed many times, and now its official launch is scheduled for October 29, the anniversary of the founding of modern Turkey. This tunnel will be the first megaproject completed in Istanbul.

The tunnel is part of the larger $5 billion Marmaray project, which includes upgrading the existing commuter rail system. According to government plans, 1.5 million people will use the 76 km lines every day.

Meanwhile, the interval of trains under the Bosphorus will be 2 minutes, and the throughput of the tunnel will reach 75 thousand passengers per day.

Construction of the tunnel began in 2004. a Japanese-Turkish consortium, financed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Let us note that the construction of this tunnel was initially an extremely complex project from a geological point of view, since the strait is located in a seismically active zone.

Highest road tunnel:

In Sichuan province in southwestern China, construction of a tunnel through Trola Mountain has begun. This structure is part of the Sichuan-Tibet highway complex. The tunnel will be the highest in the world, as it will be located at 4240-4380 m above sea level.

Currently, construction of the 14.06 km long approach to the tunnel is in full swing. This object is located in the east of Mount Trola. The length of the tunnel itself will be 7 km. The construction of this road section will be completed in four years. Investments in the project are estimated at 1.12 billion yuan ($172 million). Once the tunnel is put into operation, travel time through Mount Trola will be reduced by at least 2 hours - to just over 10 minutes.

Let us recall that the construction of a highway from Sichuan to Tibet with a length of 2415 km has become the most difficult in the world. The road crosses 12 rivers and 14 mountains at an altitude of 4000-5000 m above sea level.

From 2011 to 2015 Chinese authorities will allocate $954 billion to develop the country's transport infrastructure. Most of the allocated funds will be spent on the construction of new roads, including expressways. Thus, in the next five years, 108,000 km of expressways will be built in China. By the end of 2015, they will unite more than 90% of all cities in the country with a population of more than 200,000 people. Currently, the total length of roads in the Middle Kingdom exceeds 3.9 million km.

Oh, yes, I completely forgot, what is the longest road tunnel in the world?

Laerdal Tunnel is a road tunnel connecting the cities of Laerdal and Aurland, part of the E16 highway between Oslo and Bergen. The 24.5 kilometer tunnel is the longest road tunnel in the world.

Construction cost 120 million euros. Opened on November 27, 2000 by King Harald the Fifth of Norway.

Natural conditions in Norway such as mountainous terrain, risks of rockfalls, northern climate, and many fjords create difficulties for reliable road transport. In addition, the ferry transport common in this country cannot always provide reliable year-round communication. Therefore, in Norway, in the last 20 years, the emphasis in transport construction has been on the construction of bridges and tunnels (the world's deepest Eiksund road tunnel is also located in Norway). Construction of the tunnel took place from 1995 to 2000.

The tunnel is divided into four sections using special grottoes.

These grottoes serve as a turning point for vehicles, including road trains, and as a place to stop for rest.

Designer lighting of the grottoes, as well as the layout of the route, make the trip through the tunnel not so monotonous and “boring”; the duration of the trip through the tunnel is about 20 minutes.

A large number of safety measures are used in the tunnel. Emergency telephones are installed every 250 meters along the route, fire extinguishers are located every 125 meters, and in addition to the 3 grottoes, 15 more turning points have been made.

In the Ledardal tunnels, for the first time in the world, in addition to air ventilation, air purification facilities are used.

The tunnel has an average traffic volume of about 1,000 vehicles per day and is also free of toll. The mountains through which the tunnel passes reach a height of 1600 meters.

A trip through the tunnel, thanks to thoughtful safety measures, does not seem boring, monotonous, and does not put drivers to sleep. Half an hour passes - and after the stone, rough, monochromatic walls, the beautiful landscapes of central Norway appear in all their harsh beauty.

Laerdal is famous for the Salmon Center, an ancient street with houses from the 17th-18th centuries and the equally famous Borgund Stave Church (30 km away), which was built in 1180 (!!!) and has been perfectly preserved to this day.

At the local information center you can get comprehensive information about bus schedules to the church, and offers for hotels and guest houses. It’s not very clear whether Laerdal is a city or a large village by local standards, but it’s very, very cozy there. You can get around the town by bike in literally 5 minutes, or just take a walk around the town-village.

Help: Is the Laerdal tunnel really the longest road tunnel in the world? At first I don’t want to believe this, but the statistics and numbers convince me:

So, the top 10 longest tunnels in the world:

1. Gotthard Base Tunnel 57.00 km

The largest tunnel under construction in the entire history of Europe, the planned length is 57 km, the structure will become the longest railway tunnel in the world. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2015

2. Seikan 53.90 km (Japan) - is today

the longest railway tunnel connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The tunnel opened to traffic on March 13, 1988. It has the titles of the longest railway tunnel and the longest underwater tunnel.

3. Eurotunnel 49.94 km, laid under the English Channel between Folkestone (Kent, UK) and Calais (France). Although this tunnel is inferior in total length to the Seikan Tunnel, its underwater section (about 39 km) is 14.7 km longer than the underwater section of the Seikan Railway Tunnel. The Channel Tunnel officially opened in 1994.

4. Lötschberg 34.70 km - the longest land tunnel on the Bern - Milan line, located in Switzerland. Its length is 34 kilometers. It connects the area of ​​Bern and Interlaken with the area of ​​Brig and Zermatt.

5. Guadarrama Tunnel 28.37 km - a railway tunnel in Spain connecting Madrid and Valladolid by high-speed route. The tunnel opened in December 2007. It has the title of the longest tunnel in Spain.

6. Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel 25.81 km - an underground railway tunnel in Japan connecting Tokyo and Aomori. The tunnel opened in 2002 and at its opening had the title of the longest underground railway tunnel.

7. Hakkoda 26.5 km - the longest land tunnel, Hakkoda, is located in Japan, the length of the railway section is 26.5 kilometers.

8. Laerdal tunnel 24.50 km

9. Daishimizu Tunnel 22.20 km - A railway tunnel in Japan connecting Niigata and Tokyo. During the construction of the tunnel, a fire and smoke occurred, which claimed the lives of 16 workers.

10. Wushaoling Tunnel 21.05 km

Double railway tunnel in Gansu province in northwestern China. Holds the title of longest railway tunnel in China

The longest railway tunnel in Russia is the Severo-Muysky Tunnel, its length is 15.3 km.

The longest tunnel of the future is the Japan-Korea tunnel, 187 kilometers long, which will connect Japan and South Korea; negotiations on its construction have been ongoing for a long time.

In Moscow, the leader in terms of length is the Lefortovo tunnel. It lies in the south-eastern part of Moscow and is part of the third transport ring. The longest tunnel in Moscow has a length of 3,246 kilometers, it is also one of the largest tunnels in Europe. The tunnel is located under the Yauza River and Lefortovo Park. The Lefotovo Tunnel has seven lanes for vehicles (three lanes in the north direction and four lanes in the south direction).

Each strip is three and a half meters wide. The Lefortovo tunnel is a deep tunnel (up to 30 meters), such a depth is dictated by the need to absorb noise and vibration from a large traffic flow.

On average, approximately 3,500 vehicles pass through this tunnel per hour, and it copes well with this intensity. But, during peak hours, the flow increases to seven to eight thousand, which causes frequent accidents, including fatalities. According to statistics, this tunnel is one of the most dangerous sections of roads in Moscow in terms of the number of accidents, in connection with this it received an unflattering nickname - the “tunnel of death”.

The reason for such a high danger lies in a banal violation of traffic rules related to speed limits and ignoring the solid dividing line between traffic lanes, which prevents changing lanes. The maximum permitted speed in the tunnel is 60 km per hour, but the “record” for speeding is 236 km per hour.

Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Tunnels are true architectural wonders that have been developed and improved since ancient times. The tunnels probably originate from caves that ancient people used as homes. If we look to the future, to a more civilized period, we can see that tunnels are used as secret passages, usually underground. They were used to hide from enemies. Nowadays, tunnels are built for completely different purposes. In this collection I will tell you about the longest tunnels in the world and their purpose

1. So, the longest tunnel in the world at the moment is in Japan. This railway tunnel is 53,850 meters long. Just imagine how many days it will take to travel on foot before you reach the other side

The Seikan Tunnel is also the longest underwater tunnel in the world. After World War II, Japan felt the need to connect the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, so that the country would be geographically unified. From its planning in 1946 until its official opening on March 13, 1988, it took more than 40 years to complete. Construction cost a lot of money: ?538.4 billion, equivalent to $3.6 billion

Today, unfortunately, Seikan is not used as often as it once was because air travel is both faster and cheaper. However, this building was one of the main reasons why Japan is strong and united to this day. It is worth mentioning that this tunnel will remain the longest until 2016, when the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is built

2. The Channel Tunnel, or the longest international tunnel in the world, connects the United Kingdom and France with a 50,500 meter passage. The tunnel connects the cities of Folkestone in the UK and Calais in France. The tunnel also boasts the world's largest car-carrying train, the Eurotunnel Shuttle.

Construction of the Channel Tunnel was frozen for almost two hundred years from 1802, due to constant hesitation on the part of the British and political instability. Ultimately, construction began in 1988 and ended quite quickly in 1994. The Channel Tunnel was also one of the candidates for inclusion in the list of the Seven New Wonders of the World. Undoubtedly, this great structure played a key role in the unification of Britain with the mainland, although from a material point of view it still remains unprofitable

3. Compared to other tunnels Lötschberg tunnel(Lötschberg) is still very young, it was completed in 2006, and officially opened in June 2007. The Lötschberg Tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world on land, measuring 34,700 meters in length. The tunnel runs between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais and is used by freight and passenger trains. Thanks to the latest technologies, the tunnel was built very quickly, in less than two years. Every week, more than 20,000 Swiss people use it as the shortest route to Welsh thermal spas. Thanks to L?tschberg, traffic in the region has been significantly reduced, as previously trucks had to bypass Switzerland to get from Bern to Valais. Interestingly, the heat from underground water from the tunnel heats the Tropenhaus Frutigen greenhouse, where tropical fruits are grown

4. in Norway - the longest road tunnel in the world, its length is as much as 24,000 meters, located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane. Until 1999, Switzerland's Gotthard Road Tunnel was the longest road tunnel until Laerdal was built in 2000

The Lardal tunnel was designed according to modern standards. Unlike most tunnels, Laerdal is divided into four parts, each with special lighting. The lighting effect mimics natural light at dawn and dusk. Another positive thing is that you don’t have to pay any money for travel.

Driving through tunnels is always perceived in a special way, very exciting - you see how the headlights catch images and road signs, how the air rustles during a fast drive and perceive the light at the end of the tunnel with special joy. We told you about the four longest tunnels in the world, we wish you to drive through each of them and get an unforgettable experience

Illustration copyright AFP Image caption This photo was taken on October 15, 2010. Workers stand at a huge tunneling shield, with the help of which the tunnel was built

The world's longest and deepest railway tunnel, the Gotthard railway tunnel, opened today in Switzerland. It took almost 20 years and more than $12 billion to build.

Its permanent operation will begin in December.

Swiss authorities say the tunnel will revolutionize the transport of goods in Europe. Goods that are currently transported by millions of trucks each year will be transported by rail.

This technological marvel will provide faster and easier connections between southern and northern Europe. The tunnel will speed up the movement of goods and people and reduce environmental pollution from vehicle exhaust fumes.

Swiss authorities predict that 260 freight trains will be able to pass through the tunnel per day. 20 million passengers a year will be able to use the new highway. Travel time from Zurich to Milan will be reduced to 2 hours 50 minutes.

Conquering the Alps as part of self-identification

Until now, the longest railway tunnel in the world was considered the Japanese Seikan, 53.9 km long with an underwater fragment 23.3 km long.

Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption The Gotthard Tunnel runs under the Alps - the maximum height of the mountains above the tunnel is 2300 meters

The Gotthard Tunnel is also longer than the Channel Tunnel, which is 50.5 km long.

This is not only the longest tunnel in the world, it is also the deepest railway tunnel in existence: the maximum height of the mountains above the tunnel is 2300 meters. Without a powerful ventilation system, the temperature in it would reach +40 degrees.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will be present along with Swiss officials at the tunnel's opening ceremony in Switzerland.

“This is part of the Swiss identity,” Peter Fuglisthaler, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Transport, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

“For us, conquering the Alps is the same as exploring the oceans for the Dutch,” he said.

Cost of the tunnel: $12 billion and 9 lives

The project, which cost more than $12 billion to build, was approved by the Swiss in a referendum in 1992.

Illustration copyright EPA Image caption 20 million passengers a year will be able to use the new highway

During construction of the tunnel, engineers extracted 73 different types of rocks: some were as hard as granite, others as soft as sugar. Nine workers died during construction.

The Gotthard Tunnel, completed on time and on budget, will become a mainline railway linking Rotterdam in the Netherlands with Genoa, Italy. The tunnel, consisting of two parallel tunnels, runs from the municipality of Bodio in southern Switzerland to the municipality of Erstfeld in the center of the country.

From December, when permanent operation of the tunnel begins, the journey from Zurich to Milan will take two hours and forty minutes - an hour less than usual.

Money to finance the project was taken from budget revenues from taxes on fuel and value added, and another part of the funds was a government loan, which must be repaid within 10 years.

Representatives of the Swiss bank Credit Suisse said that among the economic benefits of the Gotthard Tunnel are simplified transportation of goods and an influx of tourists.

A tunnel is an underground or underwater structure, the main purpose of which is to ensure the movement of traffic or the movement of water over long distances.

Since ancient times, tunnels (underground passages) have been common, although they were used mainly by people who secretly moved through them or hid from enemies.

Today, tunnels are built for various purposes, so they are classified according to their purpose: railway, road, sewer, water supply facilities and others.

The longest railway tunnel in the world

In 2017, the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is considered the longest railway tunnel in the world. In addition to setting a record for length, it is also defined as the deepest tunnel in the world, since the distance from the surface of the mountains in some places is equal to 2300 km.

Construction took 17 years, and the first projects appeared back in 1947. The grand opening took place on June 1, 2016, although test movements around the facility began in 2015. And since December 2016, the tunnel has been operating at full capacity.

The Gotthard Tunnel is built under St. Gotthard, a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps. Its length is equal to 57 km, and if we take into account that the tunnel consists of two parallel overpasses, then the construction mileage doubles. Along these two parallel trunks, movement occurs in the opposite direction. High-speed trains reach speeds of up to 250 km/h, freight trains – 160 km/h.

When creating the tunnel project, technologies were used to ensure maximum safety during transportation. A system for evacuating people in case of an accident has been established (one tunnel serves as an exit from another every 325 meters), and the presence of modern computer systems allows you to quickly respond to emerging problems. There are also emergency stations and mines in the tunnel. Its construction cost $12 billion.

As of 2017, 260 freight and 65 high-speed trains pass through the tunnel per day, with an average travel time of 20 minutes.

The longest road tunnel in the world

- a country of fjords and mountains. Its beauty is undeniable, but from a practical point of view, moving around Norway is extremely difficult, since you either have to overcome mountain ranges or use a ferry even for short distances. The situation stabilized when active construction of underground facilities began in Norway.

Laerdal Tunnel (Lerdal) is the longest road tunnel in the world. Its construction began in 1995, and in 2000 the facility was already put into operation. The length of Laerdal is 24.5 km, although it will take 20 minutes to overcome it, since it is prohibited to develop high speed in the tunnel. Given the monotony of the road, special passenger safety measures were used during the design.

To ensure driver attentiveness, “curved” sections were built on the straight road, and after covering a distance of 6 km, you can relax in artificially created caves (grottoes). In the same section of the tunnel, it is planned to turn the car around if necessary. The developers paid great attention to the lighting of the object. There is white lighting along the entire length, and the caves are highlighted with blue-yellow light, reminiscent of a sunrise. There are also noise strips installed on the highway to attract the driver's attention.

There were no options for emergency exits in Laerdal, so emergency telephones were installed 250 meters away. Fire extinguishers are located along the entire length of the route, and if an emergency does occur, activated signs “Turn to the exit” warn drivers about this. A special computer system counts cars at the entrance and exit, so in the event of an emergency it is reliably known whether the cars remained inside the tunnel.

Thanks to Lerdahl, the travel time was halved; previously it took 50 minutes to cover this distance through the mountains. However, many people prefer the “traditional” method of transportation, considering the Lärdal Tunnel to be too monotonous for travel.

The longest tunnels in Russia

The North-Muysky tunnel is considered the longest railway tunnel in Russia. Its length is equivalent to 15.3 km, and construction took 26 years, including serious unscheduled interruptions in work.

The North Muysky Tunnel is part of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), its construction began in 1977, and the official opening took place in 2003. Theoretically, the service life is designed for 100 years.

The tunnel is located in a seismic zone equal to 9 points. Sometimes there were two strong earthquakes a day, followed by a cessation of construction of the facility for a long period of time. Difficulties arose due to the harsh local climate and mountainous terrain. The combination of these factors significantly complicated construction, affecting the timing and financial part. A total of 9 billion rubles were spent on the construction of the tunnel.

Today, an average of 15 trains pass through the North Muisky Tunnel, with a travel time of 15 minutes (previously this distance was covered in 1.5 hours). The train speed varies from 48 to 56 km/h.

However, the difficult natural conditions in the tunnel area are monitored by geologists around the clock to prevent serious accidents.

If we talk about road tunnels in Russia, the leading position in terms of length is occupied by the Gimrinsky tunnel, built in Dagestan. Its length is 4303 meters, and the hourly traffic volume is 4000 cars moving along 4 different lanes.

Construction of the tunnel began in 1979, and in 1991 it gradually began to be put into operation, while construction work continued in parallel. In 2007, the tunnel was closed due to terrorist attacks, however, since 2012 it has been considered officially open again.

The Gimry tunnel is one of the most modern, since during the reconstruction expensive equipment from Italy, manufactured specifically for this project, was used. A seismic laboratory is located next to the tunnel to prevent emergency situations. Each section of the tunnel has lighting; it is also equipped with an automatic fire alarm, telephone communication for emergency assistance, etc. The construction estimate amounted to 10 billion rubles.

In the capital of Russia, the first place in terms of length is occupied by the Lefortovo tunnel, 3.2 km long and 7 lanes for traffic. It is located in the south-eastern part of Moscow, known by the nickname “tunnel of death”.

There is a simple explanation for this nickname. The tunnel's hourly load is 3,500 cars, but during peak hours the number doubles. This factor leads to a large number of fatal accidents, which is why the tunnel is considered the most dangerous in Russia.

The longest tunnels in Europe and new construction projects

In addition to the Gotthard Tunnel, described above, the Eurotunnel, the second longest in Europe, is of particular interest. The length of the Eurotunnel is 51 km, 39 km of which lie under the English Channel. Thanks to this tunnel, Europe is connected to Great Britain, and in America it is recognized as “one of the wonders of the world.” The average fare is 17 euros per person.

The Lechberg in Switzerland (34 km), the Guadarrama Tunnel (28.4 km) and others are also very long. However, every year new large-scale tunnel projects appear, striving to set world records for their length.

The Transatlantic Tunnel is recognized as the most interesting project of the future. Its goal is to build a route from North America to Europe, passing under the Atlantic Ocean. According to the plan, the Transatlantic Tunnel will be 88 times longer than the Gotthard Tunnel. True, by 2017 only the construction project had been developed in detail, the start of work was postponed indefinitely.

The main problem of construction is financing. Average cost estimates range from US$175 billion to US$12 trillion. Therefore, it is unknown when the planned project will be implemented in practice.