Building tunnels is a peak of the construction art and science. Walking or going through a tunnel is a very impressive thing for many people, nevertheless they don’t think about that at the instant.

Fact is that building tunnels is not necessary a modern knowledge. Unbelievable, but true, there are man made tunnels which are very old. Very old, but not obsolete: an Iranian aqua duct serving for water transport is 5000 years old, and still in use! You don’t need to be a construction engineer for thinking about the difficulties of building a tunnel (alignment, evacuation of spoil,etc). I think those antic constructors are really to admire.

In the good old times the tunnels had mainly defense purposes, they were secret passages. Newer, in the modern times, things changed dramatically, but a tunnel remains a masterpiece.

Building the Channel Tunnel was such an emotional decisions for many British. Fact is, the British Island is no more felt as cold and isolated by the people from Europe, and by the British themselves. And I hope, they don’t regret it. The Channel Tunnel is with its 50 km length one of the longest worldwide, and it is for sure the most mediated and most spectacular worldwide. Imaging the two teams, the English and the French one, who met exactly in the middle, with practically no deviations.

The Channel Tunnel had a huge psychological impact in Britain and on the European Continent

The Channel Tunnel had a huge psychological impact in Britain and on the European Continent

Longer than the Channel Tunnel in the all world is only the Japanese tunnel of Seikan, linking the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. Thus, the Seikan Tunnel is a major contribution to the unity of Japan. The Seikan Tunnel proudly measures 54 km, and made necessary the construction of two railway stations into the tunnel!

The Seikan Tunnel is a symbol for the Japanese unity, linking the two major islands of Honshu and Hokkaido

The Seikan Tunnel is a symbol for the Japanese unity, linking the two major islands of Honshu and Hokkaido

Traveling through a railway tunnel as Channel Tunnel or Seikan Tunnels is pretty stressing, and many people simply refuse the idea, fearing accidents or the dark. Things are even worse when driving the own car through a very long tunnel. The Norway based Laerdal Tunnel is the world’s longest road tunnel, and it enjoys a special colored illumination making the drive more bearable and more pleasant. This very special light system pretends to be very close to the daily natural illumination from sunrise to sunset.

The Laerdal Tunnel is the world's longest road tunnel and enjoys an unique lighting system

The Laerdal Tunnel is the world's longest road tunnel and enjoys an unique lighting system

I love tunnels, I am totally for building tunnels. Driving or being droven through a tunnel is maybe not very natural and thus so interesting and exciting. Please don’t avoid tunnels, and explore them. It is quite an experience you may not miss!

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