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The World's Longest Tunnels: Karize Uy

The document discusses four of the longest tunnels in the world: 1. The Seikan Tunnel in Japan is the longest railway tunnel at 53.85 km and longest undersea tunnel. It took over 40 years to construct. 2. The Channel Tunnel connects the UK and France at 50.5 km, making it the longest international tunnel. Construction began in 1988. 3. The Lötschberg Base Tunnel in Switzerland is the longest land tunnel at 34.7 km and was completed quickly between 2005-2006. 4. The Lærdal Tunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel at 24 km and was designed with drivers in mind, breaking up the darkness with outdoor views.

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105 views

The World's Longest Tunnels: Karize Uy

The document discusses four of the longest tunnels in the world: 1. The Seikan Tunnel in Japan is the longest railway tunnel at 53.85 km and longest undersea tunnel. It took over 40 years to construct. 2. The Channel Tunnel connects the UK and France at 50.5 km, making it the longest international tunnel. Construction began in 1988. 3. The Lötschberg Base Tunnel in Switzerland is the longest land tunnel at 34.7 km and was completed quickly between 2005-2006. 4. The Lærdal Tunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel at 24 km and was designed with drivers in mind, breaking up the darkness with outdoor views.

Uploaded by

chola
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The World's Longest Tunnels

Written by Karize Uy


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Photo: Eperales

Not many people think about it, but tunnels are architectural wonders that have been evolving
since thousands of years ago. Tunnels probably started out from caves, which the ancient man
would make his home whenever it’s too hot, cold, or wet to go outside. Flash forward to a more
civilized period, and we can see tunnels being used as hidden passages, usually built
underground. In case of certain situations, you can just go down into the tunnel and stay hidden
until the enemies are gone.

Today, tunnels are built for different purposes. Take a look at four of longest and most amazing
tunnels of their kind.
Seikan Tunnel

Photo: Risto Kaijaluoto

The Seikan Tunnel in Japan is the longest railway tunnel in the world, spanning about 53, 850
meters, or a whopping 33.5 miles. Just imagine how many days you would need to walk through
the tunnel to get to the other side.

The Seikan Tunnel is also the longest undersea tunnel in the world. After World War II, Japan
saw the need to connect the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, so that the country would be
geographically united. Since its first year of surveying in 1946 until its official opening on March
13, 1988, it took more than 40 years for the Seikan Tunnel to be finished. It also took them big
money to construct the tunnel: ¥538.4 billion, equivalent to $3.6 billions.

Today, unfortunately, the Seikan Tunnel is not used as often as it was before, because traveling
via airplanes can be cheaper and faster. Nevertheless, the Seikan Tunnel was one of the major
reasons how Japan remained a strong and unified country until today.
Channel Tunnel

Photo: Ed Schipul

The Channel Tunnel is the longest international tunnel in the world, connecting the United
Kingdom and France through a 50,500 meter-long (31.3 miles) passageway. The tunnel starts
from Folkestone, Kent in the UK, and stops at Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in France. The tunnel
also contains the largest vehicle transport in the world: the Eurotunnel Shuttle.

Construction of the Channel Tunnel was stalled for almost two hundred years since 1802,
because the British were a little hesitant about the idea. Eventually, in 1988, construction began
and ended quickly in 1994. Today, all the passenger trains inside the tunnel are run by electricity,
equally supplied by the British and French. The Channel Tunnel also made it on the list as one of
the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. If you’re lucky enough to be British or French, you’ll
have no problem vacationing outside the country because you’ll only need to go through the
Channel Tunnel to go abroad.
Lötschberg Base Tunnel

Photo: Cooper.ch

Compared to the other tunnels, the Lötschberg Base Tunnel is like a newborn baby, because it
was only recently completed in 2006, and was not officially opened until June 2007. The
Lötschberg Base Tunnel is the longest land tunnel in the world, covering a length of 34,700
meters (21. 485 miles). The tunnel runs between the cities of Berne and Valais and carries freight
and passenger trains. Because of the latest technology, the Lötschberg Base Tunnel was easily
and quickly constructed between 2005 and 2006. By December 2007, tunnel and trains were
completely functioning.

Photo: Bernhard
Because of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, traffic in the area has decreased by a huge amount,
especially by delivery trucks that need to be unloaded past Switzerland. A fun trivia: The heat
from the tunnel's flowing water of the tunnel warms the Tropenhaus Frutigen, a greenhouse that
produces caviar, sturgeon meat and other tropical fruits.

If you’re not a fan of going all the way up the mountains, and down to where you want to go,
then you’ll love traveling through the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, because its cuts through the
famous Swiss Alps, sending you over many ski resorts in a jiffy.

Lærdal Tunnel

Photo: Khloges

The Lærdal Tunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world, extending as long as
24,000 meters (15.2 miles) in the county of Sogn og Fjordane. In 1999, the Swiss Gotthard Road
Tunnel was the longest road tunnel, until the Lærdal Tunnel took the crown when it was
completed in the year 2000.

The Lærdal Tunnel was designed according to modern standards, keeping road drivers in mind.
Unlike most tunnels where you just go through darkness for several minutes, if not hours (if
you're stuck in traffic), the Lærdal Tunnel divides itself into four parts where you can pass
through dark caves or an invigorating outdoor view alternately.
Photo: Andrejk

And you won’t have to be afraid of the dark when you’re inside the Lærdal Tunnel, because it
has a lighting effect that will not only make your road trip tolerable, but also enjoyable. It is said
that the illumination effect mimics the natural lighting at dawn and dusk. And the best thing
about the Lærdal Tunnel is that you don’t have to pay any toll fee.

Going through tunnels might be scary for some people, but it’s actually pretty exciting when you
see how images and road signs just whiz by when you’re driving fast. Go for a road trip once in a
while and you just might see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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