Drive Through the 10 Longest Tunnels on Earth — You Won't Believe Their Length!
Tunnels are some of the most amazing marvels of engineering. But the world's longest tunnels are definitely not the place for a car to break down. The great breakthrough in engineering and construction has ensured infrastructure today with a high level.
The tunnels on this list are the longest ones in the world. Some of them go through mountains and even water to meet the needs of highways and roads. But all of them handle traffic in efficient ways. Tunnels are real architectural wonders that are likely to originate from the caves that the ancient people used as their homes. Then tunnels were used as secret passages, usually underground, as well as a shelter from the enemies. In our days, the tunnels are built for other purposes: they allow people to move in the most inaccessible places. Some of them have overcome technological challenges and numerous geographical and morphological difficulties.
What are the 10 longest tunnels in the world?
Lærdal. Built in 2000, the tunnel is located in Norway (Lærdal -Aurland). It’s part of the E16 road. It’s 24,510 km (15.2 mi) long. It’s 1 tube, and is the longest road tunnel in the world.
Yamate Tunnel. Built in 2010-2015, the tunnel is located in Japan (Tokyo). It’s part of the C2, Shuto Expressway. It’s 18,200 km (11.5 mi) long. It’s 2 tubes, and is the longest in-city road tunnel in the world.
Zhongnanshan Tunnel. Built in 2007, the tunnel is located in China (Shaanxi). It’s part of the G65, Xi'an-Zhashui Expressway. It’s 18.04 km (11.2 mi) long. It’s 2 tubes.
Jinpingshan Tunnel. Built in 2007, the tunnel is located in China (Sichuan). It’s located between sites of Jinping-Iand Jinping-II Hydropower Station. It’s 17.540 km (10.9 mi) long. It’s 2 tubes.
St. Gotthard. Built in 1980, the tunnel is located in Switzerland (Uri -Ticino). It’s part of the A2/E35. It’s 16,918km (10.5mi) long. It’s 1 tube. It was the World's longest tunnel between 1980 – 2000.
Arlberg. Built in 1978, the tunnel is located in Austria (Vorarlberg -Tyrol). It’s part of the S16/E60. It’s 13,972 km (8.7mi) long. It’s 1 tube. It was the World's longest tunnel between 1979-1980.
Xishan Tunnel. Built in 2012, the tunnel is located in China (Shanxi). It’s part of the S56 Shanxi Taiyuan-GujiaoExpressway. It’s 13.654 km (8.5 mi) long. It’s 2 tubes.
Hongtiguan Tunnel. Built in 2013, the tunnel is located in China (Shanxi). It’s part of the S76 Shanxi Changzhi-Pingshun Expressway. It’s 13.122 km (8.2 mi) long. It’s 2 tubes.
Hsuehshan. Built in 2006, the tunnel is located in Taiwan. It’s part of the Road 5. It’s 12,942km (8.0mi) long. It’s 2 tubes.
Fréjus. Built in 1980, the tunnel is located between France and Italy. It’s part of the E70. It’s 12,895 km (8.0mi) long. It’s 1 tube.