Gotthard Road Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The St. Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland
runs from Göschenen
in the Canton of Uri
at its northern portal, to Airolo
in Ticino
to the south, and is just under 16.4 kilometres (10.2 mi) in length below the St. Gotthard Pass
. It is the third-longest road tunnel in the world after Norway's Lærdal Tunnel (24.5 km), and China's Zhongnanshan Tunnel
(18 km).
as a travel resort, the Swiss government gave approval in July 1969 for the construction of the 16 kilometre Gotthard Road tunnel.
The tunnel would be longer than any existing road tunnel, and would provide year-round road link between central Switzerland and Milan
to be used in place of the Gotthard Pass.
The now widely used motorway tunnel was opened on September 5, 1980. It remains a single bore tunnel with just one lane operating in each direction. It has four large ventilation shafts and an additional side gallery between 10 and 18 metres from the main tunnel, having its own independent ventilation system in order to facilitate the cutting of a second tunnel, should future traffic levels require it.
On Friday, October 24, 2001, a collision of two trucks created a fire in the tunnel, killing eleven and injuring many more, the smoke and gases produced by the fires being the main cause of death. The effects of even small fires in a confined space like a tunnel are extremely serious due to an inability for gases and heat to disperse. For instance carbon monoxide
is highly toxic at very low concentrations, having this trapped in a confined space would allow concentrations to build well beyond a fatal level. The tunnel was closed for two months after the accident for repair and cleaning.
, close but separate from the expressway tunnel, handles rail traffic on the north-south line in Switzerland. It was opened 1882. In this category, however, it is no longer the record-holder. The Seikan Tunnel
in Japan
and the Channel Tunnel
between the United Kingdom
and France
are both in excess of 50 km (31.1 mi).
Under construction since 2002 and projected to be completed by late 2017, the Gotthard Base Tunnel
(a second rail tunnel, 57 km long), will be longer than the first one and be put into operation for the use of express trains travelling from northern Switzerland to the Ticino
area and beyond.
motorway in Switzerland, running south from Basel
through the tunnel down to Chiasso
on the border with Italy
.
Traffic flows through only one tunnel, which carries traffic both ways, with each direction allocated only one lane. The tunnel's speed limit is 80 km/h (49.7 mph).
The tunnel is heavily used and often home to traffic jams both on the north and south ends. In contrast, another tunnel through the Alps, the San Bernardino
road tunnel in the canton of Graubünden
further east, is relatively uncongested and shorter. The road taken on that expressway is actually longer than the direct route through the St. Gotthard tunnel.
In the tunnel, a distance of 150 m (492.1 ft) between each truck is enforced.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
runs from Göschenen
Göschenen
Göschenen a village in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:Göschenen is first mentioned in 1280 as Geschenden. In 1290 it was mentioned as Gescheldun, then in 1294 as Geschenen and in 1429 as ze Gestinen.-Geography:...
in the Canton of Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
at its northern portal, to Airolo
Airolo
Airolo is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In the settlement of Madrano, Roman tombs from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD were found. They belonged to a Vicus, whose inhabitants probably collected crystal, which was processed in Locarno into...
in Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
to the south, and is just under 16.4 kilometres (10.2 mi) in length below the St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass
The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland between Airolo in the canton of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri, connecting the northern German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route onwards to Milan.Though the pass...
. It is the third-longest road tunnel in the world after Norway's Lærdal Tunnel (24.5 km), and China's Zhongnanshan Tunnel
Zhongnanshan Tunnel
Zhongnanshan Tunnel, or Qinling Zhongnanshan Tunnel in Shaanxi province, China, is the longest two-tube road tunnel in the world. It is also the second longest road tunnel overall in the world, after the Lærdal Tunnel in Norway. The long tunnel, crosses under the Zhongnan Mountain...
(18 km).
History
In response to the automobile boom in Switzerland and the popularity of ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as a travel resort, the Swiss government gave approval in July 1969 for the construction of the 16 kilometre Gotthard Road tunnel.
The tunnel would be longer than any existing road tunnel, and would provide year-round road link between central Switzerland and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
to be used in place of the Gotthard Pass.
The now widely used motorway tunnel was opened on September 5, 1980. It remains a single bore tunnel with just one lane operating in each direction. It has four large ventilation shafts and an additional side gallery between 10 and 18 metres from the main tunnel, having its own independent ventilation system in order to facilitate the cutting of a second tunnel, should future traffic levels require it.
On Friday, October 24, 2001, a collision of two trucks created a fire in the tunnel, killing eleven and injuring many more, the smoke and gases produced by the fires being the main cause of death. The effects of even small fires in a confined space like a tunnel are extremely serious due to an inability for gases and heat to disperse. For instance carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
is highly toxic at very low concentrations, having this trapped in a confined space would allow concentrations to build well beyond a fatal level. The tunnel was closed for two months after the accident for repair and cleaning.
Rail tunnels
The St. Gotthard railway tunnelGotthard Rail Tunnel
The Gotthard Rail Tunnel, is a 15-kilometre long railway tunnel and forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Gotthard massif...
, close but separate from the expressway tunnel, handles rail traffic on the north-south line in Switzerland. It was opened 1882. In this category, however, it is no longer the record-holder. The Seikan Tunnel
Seikan Tunnel
The Seikan Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Japan, with a long portion under the seabed. Track level is about below seabed and below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait—connecting Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido—as part of the Kaikyo Line...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
are both in excess of 50 km (31.1 mi).
Under construction since 2002 and projected to be completed by late 2017, the Gotthard Base Tunnel
Gotthard Base Tunnel
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a new railway tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps, expected to open in 2016. With a route length of and a total of of tunnels, shafts and passages, it is the world's longest rail tunnel, surpassing the Japanese Seikan Tunnel....
(a second rail tunnel, 57 km long), will be longer than the first one and be put into operation for the use of express trains travelling from northern Switzerland to the Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
area and beyond.
Road conditions
The St. Gotthard tunnel forms part of the A2A2 (Switzerland)
The A2 is a motorway in Switzerland. It forms Switzerland's main north-south axis from Basel to Chiasso, meandering with a slight drift toward the east....
motorway in Switzerland, running south from Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
through the tunnel down to Chiasso
Chiasso
Chiasso is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is located at the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso...
on the border with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Traffic flows through only one tunnel, which carries traffic both ways, with each direction allocated only one lane. The tunnel's speed limit is 80 km/h (49.7 mph).
The tunnel is heavily used and often home to traffic jams both on the north and south ends. In contrast, another tunnel through the Alps, the San Bernardino
San Bernardino (road tunnel)
The San Bernardino road tunnel is a road tunnel on the A13 motorway/expressway in southeastern Switzerland, completed in 1967 and replacing the San Bernardino Pass road. It begins near the town of San Bernardino, Graubünden and ends north in Hinterrhein....
road tunnel in the canton of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
further east, is relatively uncongested and shorter. The road taken on that expressway is actually longer than the direct route through the St. Gotthard tunnel.
In the tunnel, a distance of 150 m (492.1 ft) between each truck is enforced.
Second road tunnel proposals
Construction on a second, parallel road tunnel were started. In first instance it was only built for safety: an escape route in case of accidents. This second tunnel can get build out to a full road tunnel, allowing four lanes of traffic. Efforts to do this have failed, blocked by political resistance. The Alpine Initiative "for the protection of the Alpine region from transit traffic", which raised barriers against road tunnel construction, was initially blocked by the Swiss Parliament. However, a February 1994 Alpine Initiative passed (by 52% of voters), and Parliament upheld the referendum twice through the 1990s. The pro-tunnel Avanti Initiative brought a referendum to voters in February 2004, which was rejected (by 62.8% of voters).External links
- The official information page of the Gotthard Tunnel (in German and Italian, few pages also in English)
- More statistics and facts (in German) (as well as info on a second expressway tunnel)