Vielha Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Vielha tunnel is a road tunnel in north-west Catalonia
, connecting Vielha, the capital of the Val d'Aran
valley, with the Alta Ribagorça
comarca
. It is part of the N-230 road and consists of 2 parallel tunnels. The older one, named Alfonso XIII Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Alfonso XIII, was opened in 1948 and became the longest road tunnel in the world, with a length of 5240 meters, until year 1964, when the Great St Bernard Tunnel
was inaugurated. The new tunnel, named Juan Carlos I Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Juan Carlos I, is 5230 meters long and was opened in 2007 with 2 lanes in southbound direction and 1 lane in northbound one. The old tunnel is nowadays used as an emergency exit and, since July 2011, also as a lane used by trucks which carry inflammable or dangerous products.
, at a height of 2.450 m above sea level, was closed. It was not possible to cross that pass with motor vehicles because the road was too narrow.
In 1830, the politician Pascual Madoz
had the idea of building this tunnel. On that year 2 French engineers, Auriol and Partiot, prepared the first project. Construction finally started in year 1926 and lasted 22 years, including the Spanish Civil War
period from 1936 to 1939. The tunnel was inaugurated in 1948, drastically reducing the time required to access the valley. During strong snowfalls, in winter time, the tunnel was sometimes closed.
At the beginning of the 1980s
the tunnel was reinforced, new asphalt and new lighting was introduced, and curved concrete walls were built at both ends, to avoid excessive air flow. During the 1980s and 1990s the tunnel became too old for the increasing vehicle traffic. The project of building a parallel new tunnel was requested in 1989 and approved in 1997. In 1999, after the Mont Blanc Tunnel
accident, the project was accelerated. In year 2000 the old tunnel was ranked as the most dangerous tunnel in Europe, due to the lack of security and emergency facilities. The new tunnel construction started in January 2002 and the work was temporarily stopped in winter 2005-2006 because the project had to be adjusted due to new safety laws. The new tunnel, named Juan Carlos I Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Juan Carlos I, was finally inaugurated on December 4, 2007.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, connecting Vielha, the capital of the Val d'Aran
Val d'Aran
The Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
valley, with the Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça is one of the comarques of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Pont de Suert. The highest peak is the Comaloformo in the massif of Bessiberri. Northeast of the region is the western part of the National Aiguas Tortas and Lake of San Mauricio...
comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
. It is part of the N-230 road and consists of 2 parallel tunnels. The older one, named Alfonso XIII Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Alfonso XIII, was opened in 1948 and became the longest road tunnel in the world, with a length of 5240 meters, until year 1964, when the Great St Bernard Tunnel
Great St Bernard Tunnel
The Great St Bernard Tunnel is a road tunnel complementing the Great St Bernard Pass, linking Martigny with Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses ....
was inaugurated. The new tunnel, named Juan Carlos I Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Juan Carlos I, is 5230 meters long and was opened in 2007 with 2 lanes in southbound direction and 1 lane in northbound one. The old tunnel is nowadays used as an emergency exit and, since July 2011, also as a lane used by trucks which carry inflammable or dangerous products.
History
Before the 20th century the Val d'Aran valley was not easily accessible from the rest of Catalonia, specially during the winter snow season, when the Vielha mountain passMountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
, at a height of 2.450 m above sea level, was closed. It was not possible to cross that pass with motor vehicles because the road was too narrow.
In 1830, the politician Pascual Madoz
Pascual Madoz
Pascual Madoz , Spanish politician, statistician, was born at Pamplona.In early life he was settled in Barcelona, as a writer and journalist. He envisioned the construction of the Vielha tunnel. He joined the Progresista party formed during the First Carlist War, 1833-40...
had the idea of building this tunnel. On that year 2 French engineers, Auriol and Partiot, prepared the first project. Construction finally started in year 1926 and lasted 22 years, including the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
period from 1936 to 1939. The tunnel was inaugurated in 1948, drastically reducing the time required to access the valley. During strong snowfalls, in winter time, the tunnel was sometimes closed.
At the beginning of the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
the tunnel was reinforced, new asphalt and new lighting was introduced, and curved concrete walls were built at both ends, to avoid excessive air flow. During the 1980s and 1990s the tunnel became too old for the increasing vehicle traffic. The project of building a parallel new tunnel was requested in 1989 and approved in 1997. In 1999, after the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as...
accident, the project was accelerated. In year 2000 the old tunnel was ranked as the most dangerous tunnel in Europe, due to the lack of security and emergency facilities. The new tunnel construction started in January 2002 and the work was temporarily stopped in winter 2005-2006 because the project had to be adjusted due to new safety laws. The new tunnel, named Juan Carlos I Tunnel in honor of Spanish king Juan Carlos I, was finally inaugurated on December 4, 2007.