By Nash Jenkins
A rail tunnel running under the Swiss Alps is slated to be the world’s longest and also its most expensive, costing 11 billion euros ($12 billion) to complete.
After 17 years of construction, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will have a soft opening on Wednesday and commence regular operations at the end of this year, The Guardian reports. The tunnel runs for more than 35 miles and sits nearly a mile and a half beneath the surface.
It dethrones Japan’s underwater Seikan tunnel as the world’s longest (by only 1.8 miles) though the Chinese government hopes to outdo them both, with plans to build a 76-mile tunnel under the Bohai straits.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com