This Day in History: 6 May 2020
6 May 1994
26 years ago, today, the English Channel tunnel opened, connecting Folkstone with Coquelles, cutting travel time between France and England to 35 minutes, and eventually between London and Paris to 2 and a half hours. This connection made between Britain and mainland Europe was the first since the Ice Age. The opening ceremony was presided over by Queen Elizabeth II, and French President Francois Mitterrand. In 1803, the first tunnel under the Channel was planned by Napoleon's engineer, Albert Mathieu, and the first real attempt was made by Colonel Beaumont in 1880.
The tunnel is the world's longest undersea tunnel, running underwater for 23 miles, averaging at a depth of 150 feet below the seabed. Every day, about 30,000 people journey through the tunnel on passenger, shuttle and freight trains. During construction, millions of tons of earth were moved, encompassing the work of 15,000 people. Sadly, ten of these people were killed during the creation. It cost around $16 billion, which was roughly twice its original estimate, and its completion was a year behind schedule. In 1996, the American Society of Civil Engineers labelled the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Want to find out more about the history of the English Channel tunnel? Click here for more information, or here for a documentary on the tunnel.
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