Branisko Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Branisko Tunnel is a road tunnel
in eastern Slovakia
. It is located on the D1 motorway at Beharovce
- Fričovce
section. It replaced the Branisko Pass road via mountain range of the same name
, with the top at 751 m AMSL. Currently only one tube is open to traffic; the second tube is expected to be opened in the future.
Construction began when the exploration gallery driving was launched in April 1996 on the axle of the northern (left) tube. The southern tube driving started in May 1997 from both portals using New Austrian Tunnelling method
(NATM). Works were slowed down in 1999 due to cost cutting for motorway constructions. The breakthrough was made on May 1, 1999. The southern (right) tube of the tunnel with the Beharovce - Fričovce section was opened on June 29, 2003.
The tunnel is 4975 m long. The road in the tunnel is 7.5 m wide, with 1 m wide sidewalks on both sides; maximum height is 4.5 m, maximum gradient is 1.2%. The maximum allowed speed in tunnel is 80 km/h.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in eastern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It is located on the D1 motorway at Beharovce
Beharovce
Beharovce is a small village and municipality in the Levoča District, Prešov Region.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 474 metres and covers an area of 2.649km². As of 2006, it had 172 inhabitants. The village is few kilometres away from the Branisko tunnel.-External...
- Fričovce
Fricovce
Fričovce is a village and municipality in Prešov District in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1320. One of the oldest breweries in the country can be found there, Zapovca.-Geography:...
section. It replaced the Branisko Pass road via mountain range of the same name
Branisko (mountain range)
Branisko is a mountain range in eastern Slovakia, between the Spiš and Šariš regions. It is a 20 km long and 5 km wide mountain range in the north-south direction, belonging to the Fatra-Tatra Area of the Inner Western Carpathians....
, with the top at 751 m AMSL. Currently only one tube is open to traffic; the second tube is expected to be opened in the future.
Construction began when the exploration gallery driving was launched in April 1996 on the axle of the northern (left) tube. The southern tube driving started in May 1997 from both portals using New Austrian Tunnelling method
New Austrian Tunnelling method
The New Austrian Tunnelling method was developed between 1957 and 1965 in Austria. It was given its name in Salzburg in 1962 to distinguish it from old Austrian tunnelling approach. The main contributors to the development of NATM were Ladislaus von Rabcewicz, Leopold Müller and Franz Pacher...
(NATM). Works were slowed down in 1999 due to cost cutting for motorway constructions. The breakthrough was made on May 1, 1999. The southern (right) tube of the tunnel with the Beharovce - Fričovce section was opened on June 29, 2003.
The tunnel is 4975 m long. The road in the tunnel is 7.5 m wide, with 1 m wide sidewalks on both sides; maximum height is 4.5 m, maximum gradient is 1.2%. The maximum allowed speed in tunnel is 80 km/h.