Gotthard Tunnel, Railway tunnel between Göschenen and Airolo, Switzerland
The Gotthard Tunnel is a railway passage between Göschenen in Canton Uri and Airolo in Canton Ticino, piercing through the Saint-Gotthard Massif. This connection links the German-speaking and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland across a distance of roughly fifteen kilometers.
Construction began in 1872 and employed dynamite and mechanical boring equipment for the first Alpine passage of this kind. After ten years of work, the tunnel opened and transformed trade routes between northern and southern Europe.
The southern entrance features a memorial plaque honoring the laborers who lost their lives during construction. This tribute reminds travelers of the dangerous and demanding work conditions in the mountains.
Travelers can experience the inside of the tunnel only by train, as there is no public access for pedestrians or cars. The journey lasts around eight minutes and is served by many regional and long-distance trains.
Workers during construction suffered from a hookworm infestation that pushed medical research into parasitology forward. This health crisis led to better treatment methods and hygiene practices in later tunnel projects.
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