Increasing congestion, rising global fuel costs, and concerns about environmental sustainability have spurred the need for innovative engineering projects that match long-term infrastructure needs with shifting economic demands to create more viable and efficient options for moving cargo. Switzerland's AlpTransit Gotthard Tunnel is one such project.

Tucked amid the verdant mountains of southeastern Switzerland, the Gotthard base tunnel project will carve a 35-mile corridor through the Alps stretching from the Swiss cities of Bodio in the south, to its northern terminus in Erstfeld. When completed, the tunnel will be the longest in the world.

Together with two other alpine tunnels under the Zimmerberg and Ceneri mountains, the Gotthard rail passage will create an important nexus for cargo transportation. It will also be pivotal to integrating the growing high-speed train network within Europe, while bringing major economic centers on both sides of the Alps closer together.

Switzerland's penchant for building alpine tunnels is nearly as prolific as its pedigree for watch-making -- and just as precise. The first Gotthard rail tunnel though the Alps was constructed in 1882. At the time, the nine-mile passage was the longest in the world.

In 1947, Swiss engineers envisioned the preliminary idea for a flat Gotthard base tunnel that could accommodate faster trains and heavier cargo loads. The first design for the base tunnel was completed in 1962, and passed approval in 1992. Construction began in 1998.

The AlpTransit initiative and its anticipated boon for Switzerland's transportation industry is a quintessential example of Swiss innovation. The precision, planning, and execution of the Gotthard tunnel suggests early engineers had a "master plan" of how the project would unfold to meet the changing needs of Switzerland and Europe's economy, notes Mario Brossi, senior representative for Location: Switzerland, a Zurich-based economic development group.

The AlpTransit tunnel offers a cathartic solution to myriad problems facing Europe's cargo sector. Pollution, fuel costs, congestion, capacity, and velocity are all paramount concerns for Switzerland and other EU countries. Switzerland's topography and well-developed railroad infrastructure give it a head start among its European and global competitors in finding more efficient and less-intrusive ways to move cargo. Because of its location in central Europe, cargo transporters moving both north and south are more than likely to pass through its mountains.

"Switzerland has always been at the intersecting axis of transportation within Europe -- by foot, rail, or road," says Brossi.

Stretching 500 miles long and 100 miles wide from southern Germany to the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps present a major obstacle for shippers moving product within Europe. Switzerland sits in the middle of this supply chain and serves as a vital transportation crossroads within the central mainland. It will become even more important to global supply chains as manufacturing growth in Eastern Europe continues.

A key component in this developing trade dynamic is ensuring Europe's railroad infrastructure and networks are capable of supporting increased volume and growth, especially as congestion-choked roads become prevalent. "International trade has grown more rapidly than domestic trade, greatly impacting the roads. Road traffic through the Alps doubles every eight years while rail traffic remains static," notes a recent report published by the Canton of Ticino Department of Finance and Economy.

Freight traffic in the alpine region is expected to grow 75 percent by 2010, which poses environmental concerns for crossroad countries such as Switzerland, according to a study by the European Commission. Placing cargo on the rail for cross-alpine transit offers shippers both economic and environmental advantages. Currently, rail cargo accounts for 35 percent of all shipments within Switzerland, compared to 18 percent overall in the EU. The Swiss railroad accommodates 65 percent of all cross-alpine freight volume in the country. These numbers are expected to grow considerably when the AlpTransit rail corridor is complete.

Equally important, as global fuel prices continue to skyrocket, the cost of moving product over the road is increasing as well.

Among all 25 EU countries, total energy consumption for cargo moving via rail rose from 9.5 million tons of fuel in 1992 to 9.6 million tons in 2003, while fuel consumption for road transport grew much faster -- from 262 million tons in 1992 to 314 million tons in 2003, according to the European Commission. This trend, however, is gradually changing. The AlpTransit Gotthard Tunnel initiative will play a large role in increasing capacity and cargo velocity, luring more shippers to the railroad.

"The new AlpTransit Gotthard line will carry goods through the Alps in an environmentally friendly way, while increasing freight capacity from 22 tons to 57 tons per year," the Ticino report adds.

Currently, 150 freight trains per day cross the Gotthard pass -- the AlpTransit Gotthard tunnel will increase this capacity to more than 200 trains per day. And because the new route is flat, it will accommodate longer freight trains that pull up to twice the current weight. Also worth noting, the fastest freight trains will have a top speed of 100 miles per hour on the Gotthard pass -- trains on current cross-alpine routes cannot travel that fast because of the routes' grades and curves.

In addition to increasing speed and capacity, the Gotthard tunnel corridor will enable shippers to convey more cargo with fewer locomotives and less energy output, providing significant economic and environmental incentives.

The Gotthard tunnel has generated a considerable amount of interest despite the fact its debut is still six years away. But the anticipation of its potential is perhaps its greatest impact.

"Success in shifting passengers and goods off Europe's roads will depend principally on improving its railways, particularly for freight," reports Europe at a Crossroads: The Need for Sustainable Transport, a 2003 missive from the European Commission.

In addition, Europe must gradually enact "a network of main lines dedicated exclusively to cargo to make sure freight is given the same commercial importance as passenger traffic," the report notes.

If rail is the transport mode that will alleviate Switzerland and Europe's over-the-road congestion, reduce pollution, and facilitate cargo movement, the AlpTransit project is the light at the end of the tunnel.

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• LOCATION: Underneath the Alps between Bodio and Erstfeld, Switzerland.
• LENGTH:When completed, Gotthard will be 35 miles long, surpassing the current record (33.5 miles) held by Japan's Seikan Tunnel.
• ELEVATION:The tunnel corridor will go no higher than 1,800 feet, versus the current height of 3,700 feet. Because of the Gotthard Tunnel's slight gradients, trains will be able to haul double their current tonnage.
• SCHEDULE:Total time planning and building the current design will be 25 years, but a proposal for the Gotthard base tunnel was first envisioned in 1947.
• COST:Current estimates indicate the total cost will surpass $6 billion.
• CAPACITY:Freight train capacity across Gotthard will increase from 150 trains per day to more than 200 trains per day.
• SPEED:Trains will be able to travel 100 mph, versus the current limit of 50 mph.