What happened in the Gotthard tunnel?
One of Europe’s main transport routes, the Gotthard road tunnel in Switzerland, was shut for several hours after a deadly crash. Police said two people were killed and four injured in the head-on crash between a car and a lorry on Wednesday morning local time.
Can you drive through the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
The Gotthard Tunnel is the core and culminating point of the A2 motorway in Switzerland, running south from Basel through the tunnel down to Chiasso on the border with Italy. Traffic flows through only one tunnel, which carries traffic both ways, with each direction allocated one lane.
Who built the Gotthard tunnel?
AlpTransit Gotthard AG
AlpTransit Gotthard AG was responsible for construction. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). To cut construction time in half, four access tunnels were built so that construction could start at four different sites simultaneously: Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, and Faido.
How many people died in the Gotthard tunnel?
Eleven people died in what would be remembered as one of the worst road accidents in Switzerland or indeed in Europe. “An accident could happen even today, with more deaths,” admits Marco Grassi of the Gotthard Control Centre. In the two-way tunnel, the possibility of a head-on collision cannot be discounted.
How long did it take to make the Gotthard tunnel?
17 years
The Gotthard base tunnel is 57km and in some places 2.3km from the surface. Without ventilation, the temperature inside the tunnel system is 46C (115F). The project took 17 years to build and cost 12.2bn Swiss francs.
How long does it take to go through the Gotthard tunnel?
about 20 minutes
As a general rule, passenger trains travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at a speed of 200 km/h. This means that the journey through the tunnel takes about 20 minutes.
How busy is Gotthard tunnel?
The waiting time can easily reach up to 4-5 hours. The traffic jam sometimes can continue for more than one day. In average the waiting time is 10 minutes per 1 km traffic jam for the south-bound traffic and more than 15 mins per 1 km for the north bound traffic. During holiday traffic on Saturday, 18.07.
How many workers died building the Gotthard tunnel?
nine workers
Although not nearly as many workers died as for the first tunnel, the building of the Gotthard Base Tunnel still resulted in the deaths of nine workers. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel is the centerpiece of the New Railway Link Through the Alps (NRLA).
How long did it take to build the Gotthard Base Tunnel?