8+The+Channel+Tunnel

Jackie J. <3 **
 * The Channel Tunnel, English Channel

The Chunnel By Jackie

One of the seven engineering Wonders of the World is the Channel Tunnel also known as the Chunnel. The Chunnel is a World Wonder because it is the longest underground tunnel ever built. It is also the second longest rail tunnel in the world behind the Seikan tunnel in Japan. The entrance to the tunnel starts near Folkestone, England and exits near Calais, France. The trip through the tunnel takes about one half hour.

The tunnel is 32 miles long of which 24 miles is under the English Channel. The average depth is 150 feet underneath the Channel. There was interest in building a tunnel from England to France ever since the 1700’s. The digging of the tunnel started in the 1880’s but the project was abandoned. In 1986, England and France agreed to a plan to construct the tunnel. Eventually it took 15,000 workers over 7 years to complete the project and it was opened in 1994. The Chunnel consists of 3 parallel tunnels. There are 2 primary rail tunnels that are used to carry trains north and south and a smaller access tunnel used for narrow wheeled vehicles. The English Channel is the body of water that separates the island of Great Britain from Northern France. It is approximately 350 long and is the world’s busiest passage. The Channel formed over 10,000 years ago and separated Great Britain from France. In 6,500 B.C. a catastrophic erosion swept away the chalk to form the body of water known as the English Channel. From this point on, man thought of digging a tunnel to make it easier to get from one country to the other. It took thousands of years for the engineering innovations to allow this to happen.

The Channel Tunnel is now the easiest way to transport people and cargo from Great Britain to France. This tremendous engineering feat makes the Chunnel on of the Wonders of the World.