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[[File:Southern portal of Chirk canal tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 1293092.jpg|thumb|Southern portal of the {{convert|421|m|ft|abbr=on|adj=mid|long}} [[Chirk Tunnel|Chirk canal tunnel]], Wales]]
A '''tunnel''' is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is
A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular [[road]] [[traffic]], for [[rail transport|rail]] traffic, or for a [[canal]]. The central portions of a [[rapid transit]] network are usually in the tunnel. Some tunnels are used as [[sanitary sewer|sewers]] or [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]] to supply water for consumption or for [[hydroelectric]] stations. [[Utility tunnel]]s are used for routing steam, chilled water, electrical power or telecommunication cables, as well as connecting buildings for convenient passage of people and equipment.<ref>Salazar, Waneta. ''Tunnels in Civil Engineering''. Delhi, India : White Word Publications, 2012.</ref>
[[Secret passage|Secret tunnels]] are built for military purposes, or by civilians for [[smuggling]] of [[weapon]]s, [[contraband]], or [[people]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sorrensen |first=Cynthia |date=2014-07-01 |title=Making the Subterranean Visible: Security, Tunnels, and the United States–Mexico Border |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2014.12029.x |journal=Geographical Review |language=en |volume=104 |issue=3 |pages=328–345 |doi=10.1111/j.1931-0846.2014.12029.x |issn=0016-7428}}</ref> Special tunnels, such as [[wildlife crossing]]s, are built to allow wildlife to cross human-made barriers safely.<ref>Brodziewska, J. (2005). Wildlife tunnels and fauna bridges in Poland: past, present and future, 1997-2013. ''UC Davis: Road Ecology Center''. Retrieved from <nowiki>https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4wd0j27j</nowiki></ref> Tunnels can be connected together in [[tunnel network]]s.
A tunnel is relatively long and narrow; the length is often much greater than twice the [[diameter]], although similar shorter excavations can be constructed, such as cross passages between tunnels.▼
The definition of what constitutes a tunnel can vary widely from source to source. For example, in the United Kingdom, a road tunnel is defined as "a subsurface highway structure enclosed for a length of {{convert|150|m|ft}} or more."<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/tses/attachments/987a669b-13a1-40b9-94da-1ea4e4604fdd |title=
== Terminology ==
{{Empty section|date=September 2024}}[[File:Tampereen rantatunneli.jpg|thumb|An entrance of the [[Rantaväylä Tunnel]] in the northern part of [[Tampere]], [[Pirkanmaa]], [[Finland]]]]
[[File:Scene with Fabric Tunnel - Srimangal - Sylhet Division - Bangladesh (12904860703).jpg|thumb|A fabric tunnel in [[Moulvibazar District]], [[Bangladesh]]]]
▲A tunnel is relatively long and narrow; the length is often much greater than twice the [[diameter]], although similar shorter excavations can be constructed, such as cross passages between tunnels.
== Etymology ==
▲The definition of what constitutes a tunnel can vary widely from source to source. For example, in the United Kingdom, a road tunnel is defined as "a subsurface highway structure enclosed for a length of {{convert|150|m|ft}} or more."<ref>{{cite book|title=DESIGN MANUAL FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES: VOLUME 2: SECTION 2: PART 9: BD 78/99: DESIGN OF ROAD TUNNELS|year=1999|publisher=The Department for Transport|url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/dmrb/vol2/section2/bd7899.pdf}}</ref> In the United States, the [[National Fire Protection Association|NFPA]] definition of a tunnel is "An underground structure with a design length greater than {{convert|23|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a diameter greater than {{convert|1800|mm|ft}}."<ref>{{cite book|title=NFPA Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations|publisher=National Fire Protection Association}}</ref>
The word "tunnel" comes from the [[Middle English]] ''tonnelle'', meaning "a net," derived from [[Old French]] ''tonnel'', a diminutive of ''tonne'' ("cask"). The modern meaning, referring to an underground passageway, evolved in the 16th century as a metaphor for a narrow, confined space like the inside of a cask.<ref>{{Citation |title=tunnel, n. |date=2023-03-02 |work=Oxford English Dictionary |url=https://oed.com/dictionary/tunnel_n |access-date=2024-09-01 |edition=3 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/oed/1137765320}}</ref> The modern sense of it as a passageway emerged as engineering and mining practices grew.
== History ==
{{see also|History of water supply and sanitation}}
{{Expand section|date=March 2013}}
Some of the earliest tunnels used by humans were [[Paleoburrow|paleoburrows]] excavated by prehistoric mammals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Frank, de Carvalho Buchmann, Gonçalves de Lima, Caron, Lopes & Fornari |date=2011 |title=KARSTIC FEATURES GENERATED FROM LARGE PALAEOVERTEBRATE TUNNELS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL |url=https://www.ufrgs.br/paleotocas/Frank_et_al_2011b.pdf |journal=Espeleo-Tema |volume=22 |issue=1}}</ref>[[File:Joralemon Street Tunnel postcard, 1913.jpg|thumb|Joralemon Street Tunnel on 1913 postcard, part of the [[New York City Subway]] system]]
Much of the early technology of tunneling evolved from [[mining]] and [[military engineering]]. The
=== Antiquity and early middle ages ===
Predecessors of modern tunnels were [[adit]]s that transported water for [[irrigation]], drinking, or [[sewerage]]. The first [[qanat]]s are known from before 2000
The earliest tunnel known to have been excavated from both ends
In [[Ethiopia]], the [[Siqurto foot tunnel]], hand-hewn in the Middle Ages, crosses a mountain ridge.
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=== Underpass ===
{{redirect|Underpass
[[File:VIEW THROUGH CATTLEPASS NEAR BRIDAL VEIL FALLS. - Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, Multnomah County, OR HAER ORE,26-TROUT.V,1-31.tif|right|thumb|Underpass for cattle created in 1914 construction of what is now [[Historic Columbia River Highway]]]]
An '''underpass''' is a road or railway or other passageway passing ''under'' another road or railway, under an [[overpass]]. This is not strictly a tunnel.
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Rail tunnels usually require fewer [[air changes per hour]], but still may require [[Ventilation (architecture)|forced-air ventilation]]. Both types of tunnels often have provisions to increase ventilation under emergency conditions, such as a fire. Although there is a risk of increasing the [[rate of combustion]] through increased airflow, the primary focus is on providing breathable air to persons trapped in the tunnel, as well as [[firefighter]]s.
The [[Aerodynamics|
When there is a parallel, separate tunnel available, airtight but unlocked emergency doors are usually provided which allow trapped personnel to escape from a smoke-filled tunnel to the parallel tube.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Fridolf | first1 = K. | last2 = Ronchi | first2 = E. | last3 = Nilsson | first3 = D. | last4 = Frantzich | first4 = H. | year = 2013 | title = Movement speed and exit choice in smoke-filled rail tunnels | journal = Fire Safety Journal | volume = 59 | pages = 8–21 | doi = 10.1016/j.firesaf.2013.03.007 | bibcode = 2013FirSJ..59....8F }}</ref>
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{{See also|History of rapid transit}}
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2013}}
[[File:Dudley Canal Tunnel Southern Portal.jpg|thumb|right|Southern portal of the 1791 Dudley Canal tunnel in England]]▼
[[File:Edge Hill cutting.jpg|thumb|right|The three eastern portals of Liverpool Edge Hill tunnels, built into a hand-dug deep cutting. The left tunnel with tracks is the short 1846 second Crown Street Tunnel, still used for shunting. In the center, partially hidden by undergrowth, is the disused {{convert|2.03|km|mi|abbr=on}} 1829 [[Wapping Tunnel]]. On the right, hidden by undergrowth, is the disused original short 1829 Crown Street Tunnel.]]▼
[[File:Entrance of the Railway at Edge Hill, from Bury's Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 1831 - artfinder 122456.jpg|right|thumb|[[Thomas Talbot Bury]]'s watercolour of the Liverpool Edge Hill tunnel portals]]
[[File:Start of Lime Street Tunnel Cutting.jpg|right|thumb|A short section remains of the 1832 Edge Hill to Lime Street tunnel in [[Liverpool]]. This and a short section of the original tunnel nearer to Lime Street are the oldest rail tunnels in the world still in active use.]]
[[File:Leaving Liverpool Lime St - geograph.org.uk - 747034.jpg|thumb|right|[[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool Lime Street]] Approach. The original two-track tunnel was removed to create a deep cutting. Some of the road bridges seen across the cutting are solid rock and in effect are a series of short tunnels.]]▼
▲[[File:Edge Hill cutting.jpg|thumb|right|The three eastern portals of Liverpool Edge Hill tunnels, built into a hand-dug deep cutting. The left tunnel with tracks is the short 1846 second Crown Street Tunnel, still used for shunting. In the center, partially hidden by undergrowth, is the disused {{convert|2.03|km|mi|abbr=on}} 1829 [[Wapping Tunnel]]. On the right, hidden by undergrowth, is the disused original short 1829 Crown Street Tunnel.]]
[[File:Donner Pass Summit Tunnel West Portal.jpg|right|thumb|The 1,659-foot (506 m) [[Donner Pass]] Summit Tunnel (#6) was in service from 1868 to 1993.]]
▲[[File:Dudley Canal Tunnel Southern Portal.jpg|thumb|right|Southern portal of the 1791 Dudley Canal tunnel in England]]
<!-- [[File:Lehigh Tunnel.jpg|thumb|[[Lehigh Tunnel]], [[Pennsylvania]]]] not particularly notable?? -->
▲[[File:Leaving Liverpool Lime St - geograph.org.uk - 747034.jpg|thumb|right|[[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool Lime Street]] Approach. The original two-track tunnel was removed to create a deep cutting. Some of the road bridges seen across the cutting are solid rock and in effect are a series of short tunnels.]]
[[File:Sommeiller drill.jpg|thumb|A late 19th-century pneumatic rock-drilling machine, invented by [[Germain Sommeiller]] and used to drill the first large tunnels through the [[Alps]]]]
[[File:Small operational brick tunnel.JPG|thumb|Small operational brick tunnel in France]]
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* The 1791 [[Dudley Tunnel|Dudley canal tunnel]] is on the [[Dudley Canal]], in [[Dudley]], [[England]]. The tunnel is {{convert|1.83|mi|km|1|order=flip}} long. Closed in 1962 the tunnel was reopened in 1973. The series of tunnels was extended in 1984 and 1989.<ref>[http://www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/interactive-tour-map/ Map of Dudley Canals | Discover Black Country Canals] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409192053/http://www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/interactive-tour-map/ |date=9 April 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Fritchley Tunnel]], constructed in 1793 in Derbyshire by the [[Butterley Company]] to transport limestone to its ironworks factory. The Butterley company engineered and built its own railway. A victim of the depression the company closed after 219 years in 2009. The tunnel is the world's oldest railway tunnel traversed by rail wagons. Gravity and horse haulage was utilised. The railway was converted to steam locomotion in 1813 using a [[Steam Horse locomotive]] engineered and built by the Butterley company, however reverted to horses. Steam trains used the tunnel continuously from the 1840s when the railway was converted to a narrow gauge. The line closed in 1933. In the Second World War, the tunnel was used as an air raid shelter. Sealed up in 1977 it was rediscovered in 2013 and inspected. The tunnel was resealed to preserved the construction as it was designated an ancient monument.<ref name=listedbuilding1422984>{{NHLE|num=1422984|desc=Fritchley Tunnel, Butterley Gangroad|access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=BBC22342239>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-22342239|title=Archaeologists find 'world's oldest railway tunnel' in Derbyshire|date=1 May 2013|work=BBC News}}</ref>
* The 1794 [[Butterley Tunnel|Butterley canal tunnel]] canal tunnel is {{cvt|2819|m|mi|1}} in length on the [[Cromford Canal]] in [[Ripley, Derbyshire]], England. The tunnel was built simultaneously with the
* The 1796 Stoddart Tunnel in Chapel-en-le-Frith in [[Derbyshire]] is reputed to be the oldest rail tunnel in the world. The rail wagons were originally horse-drawn.
* [[Smuggling tunnel#Derby Tunnels|Derby Tunnels]] in [[Salem, Massachusetts]], were built in 1801 to smuggle imports affected by President [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s new customs duties. Jefferson had ordered local militias to help the Custom House in each port collect these dues, but the smugglers, led by Elias Derby, hired the Salem militia to dig the tunnels and hide the spoil.
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* The [[Thames Tunnel]], built by [[Marc Isambard Brunel]] and his son [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] opened in 1843, was the first tunnel (after Terelek) traversing under a water body, and the first to be built using a [[tunnelling shield]]. Originally used as a foot-tunnel, the tunnel was converted to a railway tunnel in 1869 and was a part of the [[East London Line]] of the [[London Underground]] until 2007. It was the oldest section of the network, although not the oldest purpose built rail section. From 2010 the tunnel became a part of the [[London Overground]] network.
* The {{convert|3.34|km|mi|abbr=on}} [[Victoria Tunnel (Liverpool)|Victoria Tunnel]]/[[Waterloo Tunnel]] in [[Liverpool]], England, was bored under a metropolis opening in 1848. The tunnel was initially used only for rail freight serving the Waterloo Freight terminal, and later freight and passengers serving the [[Liverpool Riverside railway station|Liverpool ship liner terminal]]. The tunnel's path is from Edge Hill in the east of the city to the north end Liverpool docks at [[Waterloo Dock (Liverpool)|Waterloo Dock]]. The tunnel is split into two tunnels with a short open air cutting linking the two. The cutting is where the cable hauled trains from Edge Hill were hitched and unhitched. The two tunnels are effectively one on the same centre line and are regarded as one. However, as initially the {{convert|2375|m|mi|abbr=on}} long Victoria section was originally cable hauled and the shorter {{convert|862|m|yd|abbr=on}} Waterloo section was locomotive hauled, two separate names were given, the short section was named the [[Waterloo Tunnel]]. In 1895 the two tunnels were converted to locomotive haulage. Used until 1972, the tunnel is still in excellent condition. A short section of the Victoria tunnel at Edge Hill is still used for shunting trains. The tunnel is being considered for reuse by the [[Merseyrail]] network. Stations cut into the tunnel are being considered and also reuse by a monorail system from the proposed [[Liverpool Waters]] redevelopment of Liverpool's Central Docks has been proposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/victoria.html|title=Victoria Tunnel|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/waterloo.html|title=Waterloo Tunnel|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref>
* The
* The [[Giovi Rail Tunnel]] through the [[Appennini]] Mounts opened in 1854, linking the capital city of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia]], [[Turin]], to its port, [[Genoa]]. The tunnel was {{convert|3.25|km|mi|abbr=on}} long.
* The oldest underground sections of the [[London Underground]] were built using the cut-and-cover method in the 1860s, and opened in January 1863. What are now the [[Metropolitan line|Metropolitan]], Hammersmith & City and Circle lines were the first to prove the success of a [[rapid transit|metro]] or subway system.
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* The third Alpine tunnel, the [[Gotthard Rail Tunnel]], between northern and southern Switzerland, opened in 1882 and was the longest rail tunnel in the world, measuring {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
* The 1882 [[Col de Tende Road Tunnel]], at {{convert|3.182|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, was one of the first long road tunnels under a pass, running between France and Italy.
* [[Ryfast]] is the longest undersea road tunnel. It is {{cvt|14.3|km|mi}} in length.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tu.no/artikler/i-dag-sprenges-siste-fjellrest-vekk-i-verdens-lengste-undersjoiske-veitunnel/410538|title=Nå er siste fjellrest sprengt vekk i verdens lengste undersjøiske veitunnel|date=26 October 2017}}</ref> The tunnel is projected to open for use in 2019.▼
* The [[Mersey Railway]] tunnel opened in 1886, running from Liverpool to Birkenhead under the River Mersey. The [[Mersey Railway]] was the world's first deep-level underground railway. By 1892 the extensions on land from Birkenhead Park station to Liverpool Central Low level station gave a tunnel {{convert|3.12|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} in length. The under river section is {{convert|0.75|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} in length, and was the longest underwater tunnel in world in January 1886.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upton-wirral.co.uk/wir2.php|title=Mersey Railway Tunnel|access-date=30 September 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529074903/http://www.upton-wirral.co.uk/wir2.php|archive-date=29 May 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1151 Engineering Timelines – Mersey Railway] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322113859/http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1151 |date=22 March 2012 }}</ref>
* The rail [[Severn Tunnel]] was opened in late 1886, at {{convert|7.008|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, although only {{convert|3.62|km|mi|abbr=on}} of the tunnel is actually under the River Severn. The tunnel replaced the Mersey Railway tunnel's longest under water record, which was held for less than a year.
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* In 1945 the [[Delaware Aqueduct]] tunnel was completed, supplying water to New York City. At {{convert|137|km|mi|abbr=on}} it is the longest tunnel in the world.
* In 1988 the {{convert|53.850|km|mi|abbr=on}} long [[Seikan Tunnel]] in Japan was completed under the [[Tsugaru Strait]], linking the islands of [[Honshu]] and [[Hokkaido]]. It was the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time.
▲* [[Ryfast]] is the longest undersea road tunnel. It is {{cvt|14.3|km|mi}} in length.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tu.no/artikler/i-dag-sprenges-siste-fjellrest-vekk-i-verdens-lengste-undersjoiske-veitunnel/410538|title=Nå er siste fjellrest sprengt vekk i verdens lengste undersjøiske veitunnel|date=26 October 2017}}</ref> The tunnel
=== Longest ===
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