The relief of the earth's surface is not perfectly flat, but is almost always complex, so when laying roads, it is almost impossible to do without tunnels. The prototypes of tunnels in ancient times were tunnels, with the help of this military trick it was possible to quietly get behind the back of the enemy and fall on his shoulders. Today's tunnels, for the most part, serve completely different purposes. Tunnels are very different, differing in length, location and structure. What is currently the longest tunnel in the world?
10. Lerdal Tunnel, Norway (24,510 m)
In this case, we are talking about a road tunnel that shortened the path from the municipality of Lärdal to another municipality of Aurland (both in the province of Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway). The tunnel is an element of the European route E16, connecting Oslo with Bergen. The construction of this tunnel began in 1995 and was completed in 2000. At that time, it became the longest road tunnel in the world, surpassing the famous Gotthard road tunnel by as much as 8 km. Above the tunnel are mountains with an average height of about 1600 meters.
The Lerdal Tunnel has unique feature- three large artificial grottoes are selected in it at the same distance from each other. These grottoes break the tunnel itself into 4 approximately identical sections. This is not a whim of architects, but the purpose of grottoes is to relieve fatigue from drivers who drive for a long time in completely monotonous conditions of the tunnel, and besides, they can stop and rest here.
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9. Iwate-Ichinohe, Japan (25,810 m)
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The Japanese tunnel connecting the capital with the city of Aomori, at the time of its opening in 2002, it was he who was the longest Japanese railway tunnel, until the Löchberg tunnel overtook him. This tunnel is located 545 kilometers from Tokyo, halfway between Hachinohe and Morioka, and Chohoku express trains run through it. We thought about its construction in 1988, and started it in 1991. The facility was ready for operation in 2000, but the line started operating only in 2002. The tunnel goes down to a maximum of 200 meters.
8. Hakkoda, Japan (26,455 m)
The Hakkod railway tunnel is only slightly longer than the previous one. He was a kind of pioneer - before him there were no long tunnels in the world through which trains could simultaneously move in different directions.
7. Taihang, China (27,848 m)
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In 2007, a new Taihangshan tunnel was put into operation in China, passing through the thickness of the mountain range of the same name. Before the construction of the New Guan Jiao, it was he who was the longest Chinese tunnel. It became an element of a high-speed railroad that connected the capital of the eastern province of Hebei, Shijiach-Juan, with the capital of the adjoining Shanxi province from the west, the city of Taiyuan. If earlier it took 6 hours to get from one city to another, now an hour is enough.
6. Guadarrama, Spain (28,377 m)
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In the same 2007, but in Spain, the opening of the longest tunnel in the country Guadarrama took place, which connected the capital of the country Madrid with Valladolid. It began to be built in 2002, so it is obvious that this was done at a fairly rapid pace. This is a rather complex technical structure, which also contains two separate tunnels. Thanks to this, trains run along it simultaneously in different directions. It is especially worth noting that high-speed trains of the AVE system are used here. After the launch of the tunnel, it became possible to get from one city to another in just a few minutes. This was especially liked by tourists, who began to visit Valladolid more often from the capital.
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5. New Guan Jiao, China (32,645 m)
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This is China's longest railway tunnel. At the same time, being located, as it should be for a tunnel underground, it is located at a very decent height above sea level (from 3324 meters to 3381 meters). And all because it is part of the second line of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, laid in the mountains of Guan Jiao, China's Qinghai province. In fact, there are two separate tunnels with one-way traffic. This tunnel was built for 7 years, and it was put into operation at the very end of 2014. Trains are able to rush through these tunnels at a speed of 160 km/h.
4. Lötschberg, Switzerland (34,577 m)
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The railway tunnel Lötschberg is located on the line of the same name, passing through the Alps, and it is located 400 meters deeper than the road tunnel Lötschberg. Passenger and freight trains ply through this one of the longest land tunnels in the world. It passes under cities such as Bern, Frutigen, Valais and Rarone. This is a fairly new tunnel, because it was only completed in 2006, and already in June next year it was officially opened. During its passage, the most modern technologies drilling, so it was possible to break through in less than two years. Now more than 20,000 Swiss use it every week, seeking to quickly get to thermal spas in Val.
The appearance of Lötschberg has greatly reduced the amount of traffic congestion in the area, since previously trucks and vans had to bypass Switzerland, making a big circle just from Valais to Bern. It is curious that in the tunnel there is a source of hot underground water, which the Swiss also do not waste for nothing, but use it to heat the greenhouse, where tropical fruits grow thanks to this.
3. Eurotunnel, France/UK (50,450 m)
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This tunnel, laid under the English Channel, is a double-track railway tunnel, while it runs 39 kilometers under the waters of the English Channel. Thanks to him, the island of Great Britain was connected with the continent by rail. Since then, it has become possible to take a train in Paris and be in London in two and a quarter hours. At the same time, the train stays in the tunnel itself for 20-35 minutes.
The grand opening of the tunnel took place on May 6, 1994. It was attended by the leaders of the two countries - French President Francois Mitterrand and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The Eurotunnel holds the record for underwater tunnels and is also the longest international tunnel. It is operated by the Eurostar company. The American Society of Civil Engineers was full of compliments and even compared the Eurotunnel with one of the seven modern wonders Sveta.
2. Seikan, Japan (53,850 m)
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This incredibly long Japanese railway tunnel also has an underwater section of 23.3 kilometers. It deepens underground by 240 meters, resulting in 100 meters below the seabed. The tunnel runs under the Sangar Strait and connects Aomori Prefecture (Honshu Island) and Hokkaido Island. It is part of the Kaikyo and Hokkaido Shinkansen of the local railway company.
In length, it is second only to the Gotthard Tunnel, and in terms of its occurrence under the seabed, it is the leader in the world. The name of the tunnel contains the first hieroglyphs of the names of the cities that it connects - Amori and Hakodate, just those on Japanese are pronounced differently. The Seikan Tunnel is Japan's second undersea railway tunnel after the Kammon Tunnel, and it connects the islands of Kyushu and Honshu under the Kammon Strait.
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1. Gotthard Tunnel, Switzerland (57,091 m)
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This railway tunnel, pierced in the Swiss Alps, when summing up its own length with the length of pedestrian and service passages, will stretch for 153.4 kilometers. From the north end it exits near the village of Erstfeld, while the south exit is located near the village of Bodio. The laying of its eastern part was completed in October 2010, and the western part in March 2011, after which it became the longest railway tunnel in the world.
Thanks to its construction, the transalpine rail service became possible, and the north-west of Italy was able to switch from more environmentally polluted road transport to cleaner and cheaper rail transport. Travel time from Zurich to Milan was reduced by almost an hour. The tunnel was opened in June 2016. Alp Transit Gotthard, which supervises its construction, in December of the same year transferred it to the Swiss Federal railways in fully operational condition, and already on December 11, its commercial operation began.
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 traffic lanes to the north and four lanes to the south).
Nickname "Tunnel of Death"
Each stripe is three and a half meters wide. The Lefortovo tunnel belongs to the 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 fighting 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
Tunnels are real architectural marvels that have been developed and improved since ancient times. The tunnels probably originate from the caves that ancient people used as dwellings. If we look to the future, to a more civilized period, we can see that the tunnels are used as secret passages, usually underground. They were used to hide from enemies. Nowadays, tunnels are being 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 it on foot before you get to 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 was geographically unified. From its planning in 1946 to its official opening on March 13, 1988, it took over 40 years to complete. Construction cost big money: ?538.4 billion, equivalent to $3.6 billion 
Today, unfortunately, Seikan is not used as much as it used to be, because airline 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 is built in Switzerland. 
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 largest car-carrying train in the world called the Eurotunnel Shuttle. 
The construction of the Channel Tunnel was put on hold for almost two hundred years from 1802, due to constant hesitation from the British and political instability. Ultimately, in 1988, construction began and ended fairly quickly in 1994. The Channel Tunnel was also one of the candidates for the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Undoubtedly, this great building played a key role in the unification of Britain with the mainland, although with material point vision, 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, freight and passenger trains. Thanks to the latest technologies the tunnel was built very quickly, in less than two years. More than 20,000 Swiss use it every week to take the shortest route to the Welsh thermal spas. Thanks to Lötschberg, traffic in this region has been significantly reduced, as previously trucks had to bypass Switzerland to get from Bern to Valais. Interestingly, the warmth groundwater from the tunnel heats the greenhouse Tropenhaus Frutigen, 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, the Swiss Gotthard Road Tunnel was the longest road tunnel until Laerdal was built in 2000. 
The Lardal Tunnel has been designed to modern standards. Unlike most tunnels, Laerdal is divided into four parts, each of which has a special lighting. Lighting effect mimics natural light at dawn and dusk. Also a positive thing is that you do not need to pay any money for travel
Driving through the tunnels is always perceived in a special way, very exciting - you see how the headlights snatch out images and road signs how noisy the air is during fast driving and with special joy perceive the light at the end of the tunnel. 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 
To be honest, I have never visited very long road or rail 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 the movement 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 history of Europe, with a planned length of 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 today is the Japanese Seikan Tunnel, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The tunnel was 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
Eurotunnel 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 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.
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 linking Tokyo and Aomori. The tunnel was opened in 2002 and at the opening had the title of the longest underground railway tunnel.
7 Hakkoda 26.5 km
The longest land tunnel in Hakkoda is located in Japan - the length of the railway section is 26.5 kilometers.
8 Lerdal Tunnel 24.50 km
The longest road tunnel connecting the municipalities of Laerdal and Aurland in Norway is 24.5 kilometers long. 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 broke out, which claimed the lives of 16 workers.
Wushaoling Tunnel 10 21.05 km
Double rail tunnel in Gansu province in northwest China. Has the title of the longest railway tunnel in China
The longest railway tunnel in Russia is the Severo-Muisky 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.
Tunnels have always been considered indispensable structures necessary for a safe transition or passage under the ground. But if earlier such architectural masterpieces helped people quietly penetrate the territory of the enemy, today their construction is associated with other goals. However, they differ from each other in structure, location and length. About what are the longest tunnels in the world, we decided to tell you today.
longest japanese tunnel
The longest to date is the railway tunnel, located in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is called Seikan, which means "Majestic Spectacle" in Japanese. The tunnel has a very impressive size and even has a part hidden under water. So, its total length is 53.85 km, and the underwater fragment corresponds to a length of 23.3 km. That is why, in addition to the title of one of the largest land structures, Seikan has another title - the longest underwater tunnel in the world.
The structure itself, the construction of which took at least 40 years, was erected in 1988. It contains two stations. However, despite the power of the building, Seikan is not currently used as often as it used to be. According to analysts, this is due to the increase in rail fares.
Seikan is a tunnel with a depth of 240 m. This marvelous creation of man is located under the well-known. As planned by the designers, the tunnel also unites Hokkaido.
Few people know that a typhoon, as a result of which 5 passenger ferries crashed, became a kind of impetus that led to the creation of this giant. As a result of this disaster, more than 1150 tourists, including crew members, died on board only one of them.
The longest and longest land connection in the world
The longest tunnels in the world can be conditionally divided into the following types:
- elevated;
- underground;
- automobile, or road;
- railway;
- underwater.
One of the longest land tunnels is Lamberg, once built in Switzerland. Its length is 34 km. Trains can easily move along it, sometimes accelerating to a speed of 200 km / h. It is noteworthy that this building helps Swiss travelers to arrive in one of the most popular resort areas of the country - Valle in a couple of hours. According to experienced tourists, it is here that numerous thermal springs are located.
It is interesting that, in addition to its main task, Lamberg, like the other longest tunnels in the world, also performs a number of others. In particular, near the building itself there are warm ones that help to heat the Tropenhaus Frutigen - a nearby greenhouse and tropical crops growing on its territory.
One of the largest car subways
The longest road tunnel in the world is Lerdal. This building, 24.5 km long, is a kind of connecting bridge between the municipalities of Airland and Laerdal, located in the western part of Norway. Moreover, the Lerdal tunnel is considered a continuation of the well-known E16 highway, which is located between Bergen and Oslo.
The construction of the famous tunnel began in mid-1995, and it ended closer to 2000. From that moment on, the building was recognized as one of the longest automobile subways, leaving behind the famous Gotthard Tunnel for as much as 8 km.
It is interesting that the building passes through the mountains, the height of which is above 1600 m. accurate calculation architects, the experts succeeded in reducing the burden on drivers moving through the tunnel. And this was achieved by creating three additional grottoes, equidistant from each other. At the same time, these artificial caves divide the free space under the structure into four long sections. Here is such an unusual and longest tunnel in the world.
Third longest railway tunnel
The Eurotunnel is considered the third longest among other subways passing through the railway tracks. This structure passes under the English Channel and unites the UK with part of continental Europe. With its help, everyone can come from Paris to London in just a couple of hours. Inside the underground pipe, the train remains on average for 20-35 minutes.
The grand opening of the Eurotunnel took place in May 1994. Despite the fact that a lot of money was spent on the construction of this underground corridor, global community recognized it as a miraculous masterpiece. Therefore, the building was classified as one of the modern wonders of the world. According to preliminary estimates, this longest tunnel in the world will become self-sustaining only after 1000 years.
The longest tunnel in the Alps
Another incredible underground corridor that has not lost its position for over half a century is the Simplon Tunnel. It is he who is considered the most successful link between the city of Domodossola (Italy) and Brig (Switzerland). In addition, the building itself has a convenient geographical position, as it crosses the well-known Orient Express route and affects one of the lines in the direction of Paris-Istanbul.
Incredibly, the Simplon Tunnel has its own history. These walls remember a lot, for example, that during the Second World War, the entrance and exit from it were mined. However, an unauthorized explosion was avoided thanks to the help of local partisans. Currently, the subway consists of two portals with a length of 19803 and 19823 m. Now you know where the longest tunnel in the world is.
Unfinished "monster" in the Alps
In the Alps, there is also the unfinished Gotthard Tunnel, which is called a real monster of modern architectural structures. This titan, whose length is about 57 km, is comfortably located in friendly Switzerland. According to the developers of the project themselves, the main purpose of the tunnel is the safe passage of goods and passengers through the Alps. It also cuts the three-hour journey from Zurich to Milan to two hours and fifty minutes.
And although it is not yet finished at the moment, it is already breaking records in terms of the amount of money spent. According to one foreign publication, to date, the construction of the underground corridor has cost its owners $10.3 billion. The opening of one of the longest railway tunnels is scheduled for 2017.
The longest tunnels in the world: an underwater connection between Japan and South Korea
The South Korean government, together with the Japanese, has developed a plan to build a tunnel, 182 km long. This decision was made in order to increase trade and speed up the transport connection between the two countries. This project, according to experts, will be grandiose. And although its construction is just beginning, developers, engineers and architects have already had to face a lot of problems. In particular, it is not yet clear how the rescue system will work if a random accident occurs.
The longest and most expensive tunnel in the world
The longest car tunnel, where you can see eight lanes of the highway at once, is considered the Great Boston. However, its amazing structure and design, no doubt, fade in front of the amount that the customers of this building had to pay.
According to preliminary data, the total budget spent on the construction of the tunnel exceeded $14.6 billion. But the contractors could not meet this amount, so the additional daily costs amounted to about $ 3 million. During the construction of the Great Boston Tunnel, over 150 modern cranes worked. Moreover, more than 5,000 employees participated in the process itself.
The longest tunnel in all of Spain
Spain also boasts Guadarama, a long land tunnel that connects Valladolid with Madrid. Its length is only 28.37 km. The building was opened in 2007. Later, Guadaram was talked about as the largest architectural work in Spain.
Large underground tunnel in Japan
Japan is famous for its underground and above-ground buildings, among which there is a large Hakkoda railway tunnel. Its total length is about 26.5 km. Many years have passed since the opening of this building to the present. But even now it continues to be one of the most unique spacious passages along which two trains can pass at once.