Top 5 Longest Road Tunnel In The World

There are many road tunnels across the globe that have helped us travel from one side to the other with fewer obstacles along the way. In the future, the throne for the longest road tunnel in the world might be taken by the ECRL Genting tunnel which crosses the Titiwangsa Mountain Range and has a length of 16.39 km in total.

Despite the length of the road tunnel being high, it still does not qualify to be on this list as it is slightly behind. Here we would like to share with you the top 5 longest road tunnels in the world which will make those who are claustrophobic fear when passing by these pathways.

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5. Gotthard Tunnel (Switzerland)

If we were to compare all the tunnels on this list, the Gotthard runner that connects Goschene with Airolo in Switzerland is the longest operational tunnel by far. The initiation of construction of the Gotthard Tunnel started in the early 1970s before it was opened to the public in 1980.

Two more pathways that have the railway built up alongside the Gotthard Tunnel form 3 tunnels that cross the Gotthard mountains. What's unique is that one of the railway tunnels that was built which is the Gotthard Base Tunnel that safely underwent the final phase of its construction in 2016 happens to be the longest railway tunnel in the world with a distance of 57.09 km.

Whereas the Gotthard Tunnel or its official name "The Gotthard Road Tunnel" only has a distance of 16.9km placing it as the fifth-longest road tunnel in the world.

4. Jin Ping Shan Tunnel (China)

The Jin Ping Shan tunnel is not exactly one of the longest road tunnels in the world but precisely one of the deepest road tunnels in the world. It was built at a depth of 2.735km from the earth's surface and it is divided into several sections.

It has a distance of 17.5 km and it was designed to connect two hydro-powered stations that are located in the Jin Ping mountains or also known as Jin Ping I and Jin Ping II which also happens to be the highest point of dams in the world.

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The tunnel was built to replace the previous old road that is 150 km in length that crosses the Yalong river. Considering the landscape of the area full of mountains, the maintenance of the roadway there becomes difficult and increases the risk of accidents happening to its users.

The whole project was completed in 2015 forming the 4th biggest generator complex in China.

3. Zhongnanshan Tunnel (China)

The tunnel that crosses the Qinling mountains in Shaanxi, Zhongnanshan tunnel is considered an important pathway in China. It will take a driver nearly 15 minutes to cross a path of 18.02 km in length.

The opening of this tunnel in January 2007 has shortened the journey time from the Xi'an region to Xha city which previously will take almost 3 hours now it merely takes 40 minutes which forms a chain supply of economy and ultimately saves any cost incurred.

The construction of the tunnel started in 2002 and it was specially designed with reflected lights inside the tunnel which do not disturb the focus of the driver while inside. Fake trees are planted along the way aside from cloud vision being shone toward the tunnel's ceiling.

This creates a simulation that makes the inside of the tunnel looks more spacious than it truly is.

2. Yamate Tunnel (Japan)

Connecting two areas which are Ikebukuro and Oi, the Yamate tunnel has a length of 18.2 km and it was all built under the ground up to 30 meters from the surface. It was opened in a twin pathway and from the start, this project was created as a multi-level pathway on land since the 1970s.

But the idea was reconstructed as an underground road tunnel in the 1990s. The design was agreed upon before the works of the construction were done in 1992 and it was done phase by phase. The final part of the construction was completed in March 2015.

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Similar to many highways out there, the Yamate also imposes tolls to its users of ¥530 to ¥930(cars) and ¥1,030 to ¥1,850 (trucks).

1. Laerdal Tunnel (Norway)

The Laerdal tunnel is the longest road tunnel in the world connecting the capital city of Norway, Oslo with Bergen, an important port city with a staggering length of 24.51 km in total.

It was first constructed in 1995 and the Laerdal tunnel was safely opened to the public in 2000 as it became one of the crucial pathways connecting two important cities in Norway costing $126 million.

To this day the users of this tunnel are not charged toll fees and it is completely free to be used. Due to the high distance for a tunnel, Laerdal was designed into four sections with one section having a length of nearly 6 km.

After passing through one section, the driver will pass an area where natural light can come through. This was made in such a way as to prevent the drivers from dozing off while inside the Laerdal tunnel.

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