For over 25 years, the Channel Tunnel, sometimes referred to as “the Chunnel,” has provided a swift and efficient way for travelers to move between Southern England and Northern France. From May 6, 1994, travelers who were previously limited to traveling by plane or by boat could opt for an undersea journey that took less than 35 minutes. As the world’s longest undersea tunnel, with 37.9 kilometers of the tunnel running under the English Channel, the Chunnel is deemed a modern-day featof civil engineering as well as human ingenuity and cooperation.
The novel idea of building an undersea tunnel connecting Britain to France was put forward by engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier to French military general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. However, it was not until the late 20th century that the technology necessary to complete the project was developed. Digging began in 1987, and over the next three years, nearly 13,000 workers dug 152 kilometers of tunnel at an average depth of 45 meters below the sea bed of the English Channel.
Perhaps the most notable event in the timelineof the project’s history took place shortly after 11:00 a.m. on December 1, 1990. On that remarkable day, workers from both sides drilled an opening about the size of a small car, and were finally able to meet in the middle and shake hands with their counterparts for the first time. Both sides had been working tirelessly for years. They exchanged French and British flags and celebrated the event by toasting each other with champagne. It would be four years before the first trains began transporting passengers between the two countries. However, December 1, 1990 will always be remembered as an important and momentous date on which two once warring nations would find common groundkilometers beneath the sea.
