The world's 10 longest tunnels - including three in the same country
Of the world's ten longest road tunnels, three are in China, two are in Turkey and two are in Norway.
The first modern tunnel was built in London in 1848. Burrowing under the Thames, it was 23 metres below the river surface and 396 metres in length.
Tunnels became longer and longer to allow the passage of horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, trains and later, automobiles.
Now, underground road tunnels can stretch miles, with the longest in the world being over 15 miles.
Here are the world’s ten longest road tunnels, with three in the same country. It is worth noting that these are the longest road tunnels.
There are longer tunnels used for railways, aqueducts, etc. The longest in the world is the Delaware Aqueduct, 85 miles long.
The Ovit Tunnel in Turkey, located between İkizdere and İspir, is a highway tunnel which spans 8.9 miles. It was built in 2018 near Mount Ovit to connect Eastern Anatolia and the Black Sea.
(Image: Getty)
In Rogaland County, the Ryfylke Tunnel in Norway is nine miles long. Built in 2019, it is the world’s longes undersea road and the deepest tunnel of any kind.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Between Maçka and Torul, the Zigana Tunnel is exactly nine miles long. Built in 2023, it sits in the Black Sea Region near Mount Zigana in the Turkish Pontic Mountains.
(Image: Getty)
In Shaanxi, this underground motorway in China stretches 9.7 miles. The Tiantaishan Tunnel was built in 2021 and is the second in Shaanxi among the world’s longest tunnels.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Between Uri and Ticino, the St Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland spans 10.5 miles. It was built in 1980 and at the time was the longest road tunnel in the world.
(Image: Getty)