Duplex A86, Road tunnel under western Paris suburbs, France.
The Duplex A86 is a roughly 10-kilometer road tunnel with two stacked traffic levels that connects Rueil-Malmaison to Vélizy in the western Paris suburbs. The two separate tubes run deep beneath the municipalities and form a direct underground section of the outer motorway ring around the French capital.
Construction started in April 2004 and finished in September 2010, creating an essential part of the Paris motorway ring. The project was technically demanding because the tubes had to pass deep below densely populated areas.
The walls display permanent artworks that drivers notice while moving through the two-level passage below ground. These installations turn the underground route into a kind of moving gallery, making the drive a visual experience beyond simple travel.
Drivers cross the entire 10 kilometers in less than 10 minutes, while the same route on the surface can take around 45 minutes in normal traffic. The journey runs entirely below ground without junctions or traffic lights, ensuring smooth flow throughout.
Seven rescue shafts between 19 and 25 meters deep provide emergency exits along the route, while pressurized shelters appear every 200 meters. This dense safety network was designed specifically for the two-level layout and exceeds the standards of similar tunnels across Europe.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
