The longest tunnel in Europe. The highest road tunnel

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 is at the moment- in Japan. This railway tunnel length is 53,850 meters. 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 the moment of planning in 1946 to its official opening March 13, 1988, it took more than 40 years to complete. Construction cost big 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 New Seven Wonders of the World. Undoubtedly, this great structure played a key role in uniting Britain with the mainland, although with material point it still remains unprofitable

3. Compared to other tunnels Lötschberg tunnel(L?tschberg) is still very young, it was completed in 2006, and officially opened in June 2007. The Lötschberg tunnel is the most long tunnel in the world on land, is 34,700 meters long. 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 a shortcut to Welsh thermal spas. Thanks to L?tschberg, traffic in the region has decreased significantly, as previously trucks had to bypass Switzerland to get from Bern to Valais. It's interesting that the heat from groundwater 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 always feels special, very exciting - you see how the headlights capture images and road signs, how the air makes noise while driving fast 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

The longest tunnel in Moscow is the Lefortovo tunnel. It runs under the Yauza River in the historical Lefortovo district.

Technical Parameters

The length of the Lefortovo tunnel is 3.2 km, it is the 5th longest tunnel in all of Europe. In one direction of travel, the road section is a combination of an overpass and a tunnel, in the other, at a depth of 30 meters, there is a continuous tunnel.

The tunnel is part of the third transport ring and was opened in 2003.

Tunnel of Death

Archival recording. Things got much better in 2018.

The building is equipped with all necessary systems security: video cameras, telephone and speakerphone communications, smoke and fire sensors, emergency exits, etc. However, almost from the moment of its opening, the Lefortovo Tunnel is considered the most dangerous place in the capital. 2-3 cars crash here every day.

What is happening in the Lefortovo tunnel, which Muscovites began to call the “tunnel of death”? Some believe that the lighting is to blame, which does not allow drivers to correctly assess the distance; psychologists say that when they find themselves in a confined space, drivers try to “break free” as quickly as possible and unknowingly exceed the speed limit, which leads to an accident, and Gormost experts They blame everything on disorganized and irresponsible motorists who flagrantly violate traffic rules.

However, all these explanations are not convincing. After all, there are other long tunnels in Moscow, for example, the North-Western, which runs under the favorite recreation area of ​​Muscovites, Serebryany Bor. This section of the underground road is only a few meters shorter than the Lefortovo tunnel, but the accident rate is much lower.

In addition, you can find on the Internet huge amount video recordings of accidents from the Lefortovo tunnel, which show that the car suddenly begins to weave, literally out of the blue, and then crashes into a nearby car or a concrete wall.

Participants in accidents also tell unusual things: someone feels “gravely cold” and simply cannot drive a car, losing control of both themselves and the road. Someone is cut off by a car that mysteriously disappears, literally disappearing into thin air, immediately after the accident. A human figure suddenly appears in front of other drivers, some talk about some kind of otherworldly growing rumble that appears in the tunnel, and someone finds themselves in a strip of fog, visible only to them.

Who is the “hooligan” in the Lefortovo tunnel? Maybe former prisoners of the Lefortovo prison, built back in 1881, maybe Franz Lefort himself, a comrade-in-arms of Peter the Great, who died of a fever in 1699, or maybe cadets of the Red Barracks Corps, who fought with the Bolsheviks in 1917.

Parapsychologists say that Lefortovo is located in a geopathogenic field. They claim that plants grow poorly here, wither on the vine, animals get sick and die. However, all these facts can be explained by bad environmental situation V close proximity from the largest transport route.

It is difficult to say what is happening in the tunnel, but as the experience of many drivers shows, if you strictly adhere to the established rules, do not exceed the speed limit, do not change lanes, and even more so, do not overtake the cars ahead underground, you can significantly reduce the risk of a “ghost attack” "and calmly overcome the treacherous tunnel of Death.

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The Japanese Seikan Tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world at the moment. Translated from Japanese, Seikan means “Majestic Spectacle”. Its length is 53.8 kilometers. The structure is 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 opened only in 1988. One of the main problems with this structure is that sea ​​water constantly falls into the tunnel, so it constantly works large number 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, construction was carried out over 7 years by the efforts of more than 13 thousand workers. The idea of ​​creating such a structure was first put forward back in 1802, and several attempts were made to build a Eurotunnel, but all attempts to political reasons were not completed.

Trains running through this large tunnel carry not only passengers, but also private cars. Maximum speed trains are 350 kilometers per hour. Thanks to the Eurotunnel, the train journey from London to Paris is 2 hours 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, working around the clock. It passes through the Gotthard Pass and connects Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy. Thanks to this tunnel, travel time will be reduced by 50 minutes and will be 2 hours 50 minutes. The project is estimated at 15 billion euros.

To be honest, I have never visited very long road or railway tunnels, but I remember well the feeling of driving under the Thames at Dartford Crossing. This is a major intersection in London. In one direction, cars go along the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, and in the opposite direction through two car tunnels, it is difficult to imagine traffic through a 24-kilometer tunnel.
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 for completion in 2015.

2 Seikan 53.90 km

The longest tunnel today is the Japanese Seikan Tunnel, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The tunnel opened to traffic on March 13, 1988. Has the longest titles railway tunnel and the longest underwater tunnel.

3 Eurotunnel 49.94 km

Eurotunnel laid under the English Channel between Folkestone (Kent, UK) and Calais (France). Despite the fact that this tunnel is inferior in total length 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 is Lötschberg on the Bern - Milan line, which is 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. 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

The longest car tunnel, connecting the municipalities of Laerdal and Aurland in Norway, has a length of 24.5 kilometers. Opened in 2000.

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 going on for a long time.