A long underwater tunnel connecting Japanese areas

Under Tsugaru Strait lies the Seikan Tunnel, a massive work that connects the main island JapanAnd Honshu with its northern neighbor Hokkaido.

At 53.8 kilometers long, the impressive tunnel is the second longest in the world, behind only the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland.

Exploring the Sikan Underwater Tunnel

Sikan Tunnel Entrance – Photo: Ikimedia/Reproduction

With more than 23 kilometers of structures under the ocean, Sikan has earned the prestigious title of being the longest and deepest underwater tunnel in the world, reaching a depth of 140 meters below the seafloor.

The construction saga, which began in 1964 and ended in 1988, is a story of dedication and challenges.

About 3,000 workers participated in this trip, facing landslides, floods and other dangers.

Despite the ordeals that claimed the lives of 34 people,… tunnel It represents a landmark in twentieth century architecture.

In addition to its enormous length and depth, the Sican Tunnel hides a series of innovations and intricacies that make it a true engineering marvel.

During its construction, advanced drilling and reinforcement techniques were implemented to ensure the stability of the structure in difficult underwater conditions.

Seikan Tunnel Road, which connects two Japanese islands – Photo: X/Reproduction

However, the usefulness of the Sican Tunnel today is limited. With the advancement of air travel, transporting passengers between the two islands became faster and easier than passing through a train tunnel.

Designed after the tragic sinking of a ferry in 1954, the building was originally intended to facilitate the transportation of people, but is now more used to transport goods, especially agricultural products.

Since 2016, the Seikan Tunnel has been home to high-speed shinkansen trains, although this has brought logistical challenges due to the presence of freight trains.

However, he is still a Code of Japanese ingenuity, connecting the country's core regions and demonstrating the resilience of engineering in the face of adversity.