The Longest Road Tunnels in the World: Inside the Routes Built to Defy Mountains and Seas
Drive beneath mountains, seas, and cities through the longest road tunnels in the world, where brilliant engineering cuts travel time, boosts safety, and keeps traffic moving smoothly. Source: Image by Virrage Images Inc Few driving experiences compare to slipping beneath a mountain or fjord and watching daylight disappear behind you. The longest road tunnels in the world push that sensation to the extreme. Take Norway’s Lærdal Tunnel, for example. At over 24 kilometers, drivers spend about 20 minutes in steady light with no view outside. Blue and white caverns break up the trip every six kilometers to keep people alert. These tunnels connect places that nature once kept firmly apart. Other giants operate on a similar scale. China’s Tianshan Shengli Tunnel recently opened at 22 kilometers, cutting straight through high, snowbound peaks and shaving hours off old winding routes. Australia’s WestConnex stretches 22 kilometers beneath Sydney to ease chronic traffic congestion. Japan’s Yama...