In Switzerland, a 35.4-mile tunnel through the Alps is being heralded as much for its environmental benefits as it is for the record-breaking engineering feat.
The tunnel--which will be the world's longest--will allow for goods to be carried by train along the busy trade route to Italy, removing heavy trucks from motorways across the Alps. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the transition is expected to protect rare plants and animals in the Alps, while reducing erosion, which is a serious problem in the region.
In a show of environmental solidarity, Swiss citizens approved the project in a 1994 referendum, despite a $10 billion price tag that equates to about $1,300 per person.
The tunnel will only save about one hour of travel time, but it will cut by half the number of trucks allowed through the Alps.
"The Swiss love their mountains," said Thomas Brolli, a former journalist, who helped campaign for the referendum.
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