Gotthard Base Tunnel: An Engineering Marvel

On June 1st, the Gotthard Base Tunnel connecting Zurich to Milan, finally opened. It travels through the Swiss Alps for 35.4 miles and creates a travel time in the tunnel of less than 20 minutes by train. The railway tunnel was built to make travel easier, to cut down on air pollution, and to facilitate growth in Europe. This project was not without a hefty price tag though. The total cost was £8.4 billion and took 17 years to complete! Timken supplied 25,000 roller bearings that assisted in drilling through the Swiss Alps. With the end of construction, this tunnel has now become the longest tunnel in the world. 

References:

http://www.bearing-news.com/bearings-drilled-worldis-longest-rail-tunnel-zurich-milan/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3606359/World-s-longest-railway-tunnel-open-17-years-construction-Trains-Switzerland-travel-155mph-35-miles-mountain-thanks-10-6billion-project.html