On this day in 1980 the Gotthard Road Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world’s longest highway tunnel at 16.9 km, stretching from Göschenen to Airolo.

2 comments

1. The Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland runs from Göschenen in the canton of Uri at its northern portal, to Airolo in Ticino to the south, and is 16.9 kilometres in length below the St Gotthard Pass, a major pass of the Alps.

   At time of construction, in 1980, it was the longest road tunnel in the world; it is currently the fifth-longest.

   Although it is a motorway tunnel, part of the A2 from Basel to Chiasso, it consists of only one bidirectional tube with two lanes.

2. It’s a nice stretch if it wouldn’t be for the traffic jams.