Longest tunnels in the world

Transportation in the world has become more and more efficient with the advent of technology.  In the past, it took hours to reach some distances. But these days you can reach the same distance easily within minutes. Humans have made many creations to achieve efficiency in traveling. Tunnels that run through miles are one of them. This article is about the five longest tunnels in the world.

Gotthard Base Tunnel – Switzerland

This tunnel is 57 kilometers (35 miles) long. The tunnel is made by connecting Erstfeld (Uri) and Bodio (Ticino) of Switzerland. Another important feature of this tunnel is that this tunnel has reached a maximum depth of 2300 meters from the ground level. This tunnel was completed in 2016 and was opened for transportation in the same year. The trains that travel on this tunnel are moving at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, and for them, it only takes 20 minutes to cross the tunnel.

Seikan Tunnel – Japan

The seikan tunnel, 53.9 kilometers (or 33.5 miles) in length, lies under the Tsugaru strait of Japan. This is a railway tunnel that connects Honshu and Hokkaido islands and has built on 140 meters below the sea bed. Seikan Tunnel was constructed in 1988 and opened for transportation.

Channel Tunnel – England and France

Channel tunnel, which is 50 kilometers (31 miles) long, connects the England land with Europe’s mainland. The 37-kilometer range has lain under the sea bed. The Channel tunnel was fully completed and opened in 1994. However, the basic idea of ​​this tunnel has a history of more than 200 years. In 1802 Frenchman Albert Mathieu had declared that a tunnel should be built to connect England and France.

Lötschberg Base Tunnel – Switzerland

The Lötschberg Base Tunnel of the Swiss Railway System is 34.6 kilometers (21.5 miles) long. This tunnel runs under the Alps Mountains, and construction of this tunnel was completed in 2007. There was another tunnel that was built in 1902 has existed near this new tunnel.

Lærdal Tunnel – Norway

The Lærdal Tunnel built in western Norway is 24.5 kilometers (15.2 miles) in length. About US $ 153 million has been spent to build this tunnel. This is considered to be the world’s longest tunnel for non- rail regular vehicles. The work was started in 1995 and was completed in the year 2000. An average car takes about 20 minutes to pass along this tunnel.