From one that was dug by hand in China, to another that reshaped the geography of Europe, tunnels are one of the most fascinating, underrated man-made feats of architecture.
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Here are three amazing tunnels that may surprise you by their ingenious design:
1. Channel Tunnel, UK and France
This tunnel system comprises three tunnels – two for railways and the third for service and security purposes. Running between Folkestone in England and Pas-de-Calais in northern France, it carries both freight and passenger traffic. The tunnel is considered to have defined the term “megaproject”, with its 50km span, and the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world. It changed the geography of Europe and helped bring back high-speed rail as an alternative to short flights.
2. Guoliang Tunnel, China
Before this tunnel was constructed, the only way to access the remote village of Guoliang was through a narrow path carved into the side of Taihang Mountains. In 1972, 13 villagers decided to forge a safer path – a tunnel – and they set about the process by digging with their hands. Three villagers died during the construction, but their efforts bore fruit. The tunnel brought prosperity and modern amenities to the village, and soon became a tourist attraction in its own right.
3. Spiralen Tunnel, Norway
In the shape of a helix, with six rising circles – like a multi-storey parking lot – the dramatic Spiralen Tunnel emerges at a summit of 200m, above a town on Skansen Ridge, in Norway. The climb to the peak is not for the faint-hearted, and people who suffer from claustrophobia are usually asked to keep away from the tunnel.
4. Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland
This is the world’s longest and deepest tunnel. Running under the Swiss Alps, the tunnel is 57km long and reaches a depth of 2,300m. Trains that reach speeds of up to 250km/h can travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 20 minutes, according to the Swiss Travel System. Thanks to the tunnel, travel time between Switzerland and Italy has shortened by an hour.
Have you been to any of these tunnels? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
