Karawanks Tunnel (motorway)

Karawanks Tunnel
Southportal (top)  Slovenia / Northportal (bottom)  Austria
Overview
LocationSankt Jakob im Rosental, Carinthia, Austria/
Hrušica, Jesenice, Slovenia
Coordinates46°31′09″N 14°01′22″E / 46.51917°N 14.02278°E / 46.51917; 14.02278
StatusSecond tube under construction
RouteKarawanken Autobahn/
A2 motorway
Operation
Work begunAugust 1986 / September 2018
OpenedJune 1991
ClosedWest-Tube: 2025 - 2027
OperatorASFiNAG / DARS
CharacterSingle-tube (Second tube under construction)
Technical
Length7,864 m (4.886 mi; 25,801 ft)
No. of lanes2
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph)

The Karawanks Tunnel (German: Karawankentunnel, Slovene: Predor Karavanke or Karavanški predor) is a motorway tunnel crossing the Alpine Karawanks mountain range between Austria and Slovenia, with a total length of 7,864 m (4.886 mi; 25,801 ft), 8,019 m (4.983 mi; 26,309 ft) enclosure between the portals. Its construction began in 1986 and it opened on 1 June 1991. It connects the Austrian Karawanken Autobahn (A11) from Villach with the A2 motorway leading to Kranj and Ljubljana in Slovenia, decongesting the historic Loibl/Ljubelj and Wurzen/Korensko sedlo mountain passes.

Location of the Karawanks motorway tunnel
Location of the Karawanks motorway tunnel
Location of the Karawanks motorway tunnel