The longest road tunnel in Europe. The longest tunnel in Russia

As you know, the shortest path from point A to point B is a straight line. But what if it is impossible to lay a road in a straight line due to a mountain, river or sea blocking the path? This problem is often solved by building a tunnel underground. Modern tunnels are a real challenge to nature, their complex design is a masterpiece of engineering. In addition, some tunnels are also distinguished by an unusual appearance, due to the peculiarities of the landscape or the imagination of the architect. Here is a selection of the most impressive tunnels from around the world.

10 PHOTOS

The material was prepared with the support of the site les-kodru.com.ua - environmentally friendly materials for construction. Building houses is not that difficult. like building tunnels, but it also requires careful selection of good materials. One of these is deck board, used in the arrangement of verandas, terraces and gazebos.

The project to create a tunnel under the Bosphorus, connecting the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, started in 2004 and cost the state $3.5 billion. The total length of the tunnel is 13.6 km. Interestingly, sections of the tunnel, which are located at a depth of 60 meters below sea level, have flexible connections to absorb the energy of tremors. The name "Marmaray" comes from the Turkish words "Marmara" meaning the Sea of ​​Marmara and "ray" meaning rail.

The Eisenhower Road Tunnel is notable for being one of the tallest tunnels in the world. Its height above sea level is 3.401 meters.

A railway tunnel that runs through the Alps and provides freight traffic from the north to the west of the country. On the this moment he is the longest railway tunnel in the world - its total length is 57.1 km. Although the construction work has already been completed, the opening of the tunnel is planned only in June this year.

This underground railway tunnel is an amazing botanical phenomenon. The green arched tunnel was created not by human hands, but by the natural interweaving of trees and bushes. The Tunnel of Love is a popular place of pilgrimage for tourists, especially couples in love. In 2014, Japanese director Akiyoshi Imazaki made the film "Klevan: Tunnel of Love", the plot of which is directly related to the Ukrainian tunnel.

Railway tunnel under the English Channel connecting France and Great Britain. The length of the tunnel is about 51 km, however, by TGV train, the Eurotunnel can be reached from Paris to London in just 2 hours and 15 minutes.

This tunnel, which runs 647 meters under the Huangpu River and connects the Bund and Pudong districts, is very popular with tourists. The fact is that the Bund tunnel is not so much a way to travel as an exciting attraction for entertainment. The optical technology used in it, combined with musical accompaniment, makes a trip through the Bund Tunnel an unforgettable experience.

Tunnel in the rock, punched under the Jewish king Hezekiah to provide the city with water. It served to supply water from the Gion spring to the Siloam reservoir. Today, a visit to the Siloam tunnel is included in the program of most excursions in Jerusalem. The tunnel itself is included in the complex of the archaeological park "City of David".

This tunnel, carved into the slopes of the Bernese Alps, opens directly onto the Aletsch Glacier, located next to the beautiful peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. Leaving the Jungfraujoch tunnel, you can immediately admire the dizzying panorama of the landscape of Switzerland, France and Germany.

The Guoliang Road Tunnel is a real landmark of China. The tunnel, about 1200 meters long and only 4 meters wide, was built by the 12th local residents. Interesting feature tunnel is that it is partially open - this was done for the purpose of lighting.

The longest road tunnel in the world, the Lerdal Tunnel passes through the mountains and is part of the motorway between Oslo and Bergen. The total length of the tunnel is 24.5 km.

The tunnels are a real miracle of architecture, which dates back to quite a long time ago. Usually, earlier people enjoyed underground tunnels for shelter from enemies and secret passages from one place to another. To date, tunnels are being built for completely different purposes - they allow you to shorten the path of a train or car, and also connect different countries. Moreover, there are underground structures that are of considerable size. So what are the longest tunnels in the world, and where are they located?

Seikan Railway Tunnel

This tunnel, located in Japan and connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, is currently the longest in the world - its length is 53,900 meters. It is even difficult to imagine how long it will take to make a walking trip from the beginning to the end of the Seikan Tunnel. Moreover, it is considered the longest not only among the railway, but also among underwater tunnels. The longest tunnel in the world began its work in 1988. Approximately $360,000,000 was spent on its construction.

Nowadays, this tunnel is not used for its intended purpose as often as it was before. The reason for this is the great popularity of airlines, which also allow people to save time and money. But we can confidently say that the construction of this structure has led to the fact that Japan is still strong and united country. It is worth noting that the Seikan is the longest in the world until the Gotthard Tunnel, which is being built in Switzerland, is put into operation.

Railway Gotthard Tunnel

This structure will be the world's longest tunnel, as it will be 57,000 meters long. The construction of this facility has been underway for 14 years and it is planned that trains will begin their movement on it in 2017. Its laying was carried out under the mountain pass of Saint Gotthard, from where the name of the tunnel actually came from. Its main purpose is communication through the Alps by rail.

The Gotthard Tunnel is designed in such a way that trains move through it in the opposite direction. It is assumed that the movement high-speed trains this tunnel will pass at a speed of 250 km/h, and freight trains will move at a speed of at least 160 km/h. In the meantime, this tunnel is still preparing to become the longest in the world, let's consider more tunnels that impress with their length.

The length of this tunnel, located under the English Channel and connecting the UK (Folkestone) and France (Calais), is 50,500 meters. Its construction began back in 1802, but was stopped due to political situation and hesitation on the British side. But in 1988, the construction of the structure was resumed, and in 1994 the railway tunnel began to operate. The largest train in the world moves through the tunnel, which transports cars and is called the "Eurotunnel Shuttle".

Despite the fact that the Eurotunnel is inferior to the longest Seikan tunnel in the world in terms of total length, it has a much larger underwater section - approximately 39,000 meters, which is 14,700 meters longer than the Seikan underwater section. The Eurotunnel, although it has a special role in creating a connection between Britain and the mainland, is considered unprofitable from an economic point of view.

Mountain Tunnel Lötschberg

It is the longest land tunnel, which, compared to other similar structures, is quite young, since it was built in 2006 and began to be used in 2007. It took only two years to build it, and it's all thanks to innovative technologies, which were used.

This Swiss tunnel has a length of 34,700 meters. It is used by both passenger and freight trains. This tunnel allows tourists to the shortest way get to the Welsh thermal spas - in this way more than 20,000 Swiss residents visit these resorts weekly.

Car Lerdal Tunnel

This tunnel, located in Norway, is the longest among the automobile. Its length is 24500 meters. This tunnel was developed according to modern standards. It consists of four parts, each of which is illuminated in a special way - the effect of natural lighting is provided (if it is dawn on the street, then in the tunnel there will also be an imitation of morning lighting, and if it is sunset, then there is lighting similar to twilight light). The good thing is that you don't have to pay to travel through the tunnel - it's absolutely free.

Lefortovo tunnel

In Moscow, the leader in its length is the Lefortovo tunnel. It lies in the southeastern 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 Lefortovsky Park. The Lefotovsky tunnel has seven traffic lanes (three lanes in north side traffic and four lanes southbound).

Nickname "Tunnel of Death"

Each stripe is three and a half meters wide. Lefortovo tunnel refers to deep tunnels (up to 30 meters), such a depth is dictated by the need for noise and vibration absorption of a large traffic flow.

On average, approximately 3,500 vehicles pass through this tunnel per hour, and it copes with this intensity perfectly. But, during peak hours, the flow increases to seven to eight thousand, which is the cause of frequent accidents, including those with human casualties. According to statistics, this tunnel is one of the most dangerous sections of roads in Moscow in terms of the number of accidents, in this regard, he received an unflattering nickname - the "tunnel of death".

Causes of car accidents

The reason for such a high danger lies in a banal violation traffic rules associated with the speed limit and ignoring the solid dividing line between traffic lanes, excluding rebuilding from row to row. The maximum allowed speed in the tunnel is 60 km per hour, but the "record" for speeding is 236 km per hour.

The Lefortovo tunnel is equipped with security and life support systems: ventilation, drainage system, fire protection system. Also, payphones and video surveillance systems are installed along the entire length. A central control room is provided to manage all communications.

The longest tunnel in Moscow was commissioned in December 2003. By the way, the longest road tunnel in the world is located in Norway, its length is almost 25 kilometers.

Viktor Alexandrov, Samogo.Net

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

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

Today, tunnels are built for various purposes, so they are classified according to their purpose: railway, automobile, 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. Except set record in length, it is also identified as the deepest tunnel in the world, since the distance from the surface of the mountains in some places is equal to 2300 km.

The construction was carried out for 17 years, and the first projects appeared in 1947. The grand opening took place on June 1, 2016, although test movements around the facility have been launched since 2015. And since December 2016, the tunnel has been operated at full capacity.

The Gotthard Tunnel is laid under Saint Gotthard, a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps. Its length is equal to 57 km, and given that the tunnel consists of two parallel overpasses, the construction mileage doubles. On these two parallel shafts, movement is made 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 that ensure maximum safety during transportation. A system has been set up to evacuate people in case of an accident (one tunnel serves as an exit from another every 325 meters), and the availability of modern computer systems allows you to quickly respond to emerging problems. Also in the tunnel are emergency stations and mines. 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

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

Lerdal 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 Lerdal is 24.5 km, however, it will take 20 minutes to overcome it, since it is forbidden to develop a high speed in the tunnel. Considering the monotony of the road, special measures for the safety of passengers were applied during the design.

To ensure the driver's attentiveness, "curved" sections were built on a straight road, and after overcoming a distance of 6 km, you can relax in artificially created caves (grottoes). In the same section of the tunnel, a car is supposed to turn around if necessary. Developers great attention devoted to the illumination of the object. There is white illumination throughout, and the caves are highlighted with blue-yellow light, reminiscent of a sunrise. Also, noise strips are installed on the track to attract the attention of the driver.

In Lerdal, there were no options for equipping emergency exits, so telephones were installed at a distance of 250 meters to call emergency assistance. Fire extinguishers are placed along the entire length of the route, and if an emergency occurs, the drivers are warned about this by the activated inscriptions “Turn around to the exit”. Special computer system keeps a count of cars at the entrance and exit, so in the event of an emergency it is reliably known whether cars remained inside the tunnel.

Thanks to Lerdal, the journey time was halved, previously it took 50 minutes to overcome this distance through the mountains. However, many prefer the "traditional" mode of travel, finding the Lerdal Tunnel too monotonous to travel.

The longest tunnels in Russia

The Severo-Muisky tunnel is considered the longest railway tunnel in Russia. Its length equates to 15.3 km, and the construction took 26 years, including serious unplanned interruptions in work.

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

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

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

However, difficult natural conditions in the area of ​​the tunnel are under the supervision of geologists around the clock to prevent serious accidents.

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

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

The Gimrinsky tunnel is one of the most modern, because during the reconstruction, expensive equipment from Italy was used, made specifically for this project. A seismic laboratory has been placed next to the tunnel to prevent emergencies. Each section of the tunnel has lighting, it is also equipped with automatic fire alarms, emergency telephones, and more. The construction estimate amounted to 10 billion rubles.

In the capital of Russia, the Lefortovo tunnel occupies the first place in terms of length, 3.2 km long and 7 lanes for traffic. It is located in the southeastern part of Moscow, known as the "tunnel of death".

This nickname has a simple explanation. The hourly workload of the tunnel is 3,500 vehicles, but during peak hours the number doubles. This factor leads to a large number of accidents with lethal outcome, so 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 the UK, 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 in their length.

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

the main problem construction is to finance. Average cost estimates range from $175 billion to $12 trillion. Therefore, it is not known when the planned project will be put into practice.

Japan's Seikan Tunnel is currently the longest tunnel in the world. Translated from Japanese, Seikan means "Magnificent spectacle." Its length is 53.8 kilometers. The structure was laid at a depth of more than 240 meters and connects the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu.

Construction underwater object began in 1960 and was supposed to be completed in the 70th year, but construction dragged on for almost 18 years. The tunnel was only opened in 1988. One of the main problems with this structure is that sea ​​water constantly gets into the tunnel, so it constantly works a large number of pumps that pump out up to 16 tons of sea water every minute.

The Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) was for some time the longest tunnel in Europe. Its length is 50.5 kilometers, it was put into operation in 1994, the construction was carried out for 7 years by the efforts of more than 13 thousand workers. For the first time, the idea of ​​creating such a structure was put forward as early as 1802 and several attempts were made to build a Eurotunnel, but all attempts to political reasons have not been completed.

The trains running through this large tunnel carry not only passengers, but also private cars. Max Speed trains 350 kilometers per hour. Thanks to the Eurotunnel, the train journey from London to Paris is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

However, the longest tunnel in the world will be built no later than 2017. This will be the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which is currently under construction in Switzerland, its length should be 57 kilometers. Its construction has already begun, more than 3.5 thousand workers are involved in the work, who work around the clock. It passes through the St. Gotthard Pass and connects Zurich in Switzerland and Milan in Italy. Thanks to this tunnel, the travel time will be reduced by 50 minutes to 2 hours and 50 minutes. The project is estimated at 15 billion euros.