01. Lærdal Tunnel, Norway – 24.51km.
It’s the longest road tunnel in the world, the Lærdal Tunnel is also one of the most lightly used. On a typical day, it carries around 2050 vehicles, which is largely due to its remote location 180 miles to the northwest of Oslo, Norway.
02. WestConnex, Australia – 22km
The WestConnex Tunnel was finished in November 2023 and is part of a plan to ease congestion in the city of Sydney. To date, the tunnel is the largest road infrastructure project ever undertaken in Australia and the 22km tunnel is part of a longer overall 20.5-mile stretch of traffic-reducing motorway.
03. Yamate Tunnel, Japan – 18.20km
It took 15 years for the Yamate Tunnel to be completed, with delays due to objections from residents and environmental concerns. However, the tunnel was given the go-ahead as it would ease traffic on Yamate Street that runs above the tunnel.
04. Zhongnanshan Tunnel, China – 18.04km
It cost around 3.2 billion Chinese Yuan to complete the Zhongnanshan Tunnel. This makes it one of the most expensive road tunnels to date in China. Three ventilation shafts provide fresh air to each of the two tunnels, and each tube carries traffic in the opposite direction to the other, so the streams are never together.
05. Jinpingshan Tunnel, China – 17.54km
At its deepest point, the Jinpingshan Tunnel runs 2375m beneath the earth’s surface, and more than half of the tunnel’s entire length sits at more than 1500-metres deep.
06. Gotthard Road Tunnel, Switzerland – 16.84km
It takes around 13 minutes to drive through the Gotthard Road Tunnel as the 80kmh speed limit is strictly enforced. There is also a toll charge to pay for using the tunnel and it’s capable of carrying up to 24,000 vehicles per day.
07. Tiantaishan Tunnel, China – 15.56km
When construction started in November 2016, there were 2000 workers spending their shifts underground in the Qinling Mountains. They also lived there for the duration of the build work. As part of the construction of the Tiantaishan Tunnel, a new smart lighting system was developed that delivers a more natural light inside its depths. This set-up also provides different light patterns and designs on the tunnel’s walls to ward off boredom as drivers traverse its 15.56km length in either of the three-lane tunnel tubes.
08. Muzhailing Tunnel, China – 15.22km
In common with most modern road tunnels, the Muzhailing Tunnel consists of two separate tubes, each carrying the stream of traffic in the opposite direction to the other. Construction work on this tunnel started in 2016 and reached its finish in 2024, with further complications to the build caused by the thin air at its high altitude and its effect on the workers.
09. Zigana Tunnel, Turkiye – 14.48km
Consisting of two separate tunnels to keep traffic flows apart, the Zigana Tunnel was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. This system adapts to the rock as excavation continues and uses a spray-on concrete to create the walls. There are 16 laybys in each of the tunnel’s tubes, as well as six ventilation shafts. It was also built with 40 connecting tunnels between the pair of tubes, plus nine transformer rooms to house the Zigana Tunnel’s electric power.
10. Ryfylke Tunnel, Norway – 14.46km
By the time the Ryfylke Tunnel started operating, it had cost 6.4 billion Norwegian Kroner to complete. Electric cars are subject to a 50% discounted toll charge. Descending to 285m under the sea at its deepest, the Ryfylke Tunnel consists of two separate tubes to carry traffic in opposite directions. Each tube has two lanes and the tunnel is capable of carrying up 10,000 vehicles per day.
In common with most modern road tunnels, the Muzhailing Tunnel consists of two separate tubes, each carrying the stream of traffic in the opposite direction to the other. Construction work on this tunnel started in 2016 and reached its finish in 2024, with further complications to the build caused by the thin air at its high altitude and its effect on the workers.
09. Zigana Tunnel, Turkiye – 14.48km
Consisting of two separate tunnels to keep traffic flows apart, the Zigana Tunnel was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. This system adapts to the rock as excavation continues and uses a spray-on concrete to create the walls. There are 16 laybys in each of the tunnel’s tubes, as well as six ventilation shafts. It was also built with 40 connecting tunnels between the pair of tubes, plus nine transformer rooms to house the Zigana Tunnel’s electric power.
10. Ryfylke Tunnel, Norway – 14.46km
By the time the Ryfylke Tunnel started operating, it had cost 6.4 billion Norwegian Kroner to complete. Electric cars are subject to a 50% discounted toll charge. Descending to 285m under the sea at its deepest, the Ryfylke Tunnel consists of two separate tubes to carry traffic in opposite directions. Each tube has two lanes and the tunnel is capable of carrying up 10,000 vehicles per day.
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