Government of the Republic of Slovenia

03/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2024 10:16

Prime Minister Golob at the ceremony marking the breakthrough of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel

Prime Minister Golob attended the ceremony marking the breakthrough of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel. Today's event marked the symbolic breakthrough of the second tunnel tube at the junction with Austria, although the actual breakthrough took place on 5 March.

The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Infrastructure, Alenka Bratušek, the Governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, and the Chairman of the Board of the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia - DARS, David Skornšek.

The breakthrough of the second tunnel tube is an important step in the construction of the second tunnel tube, which plays an important symbolic and real connecting role between the neighbouring countries of Austria and Slovenia. The construction of the additional tube will make traffic flow faster and safer, increasing its capacity and bringing it in line with the latest trends in road infrastructure.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Robert Golob said, "The breaking of both the first and second tubes is not only a symbolic act. Today is a day that we can proudly associate with overcoming an obstacle, something that each of us faces every day of our lives, most of the time on our own. Yet it is by overcoming obstacles that we reach a better life. Today clearly shows that when Slovenians join forces, especially when we do so with our neighbours, we are able to overcome the most difficult of obstacles. The Karavanke tunnel, both the first and the second tubes, is therefore more than just a symbolic act."

Opened on 1 June 1991, the Karavanke motorway tunnel is the only single-tube tunnel in the Slovenian motorway network and the longest Slovenian road tunnel. "The Karavanke tunnel was opened just three weeks before the final act of declaring independence and there is no greater symbolism than that. When we were gaining our political independence, laying the foundations of our country and integrating into Europe and the world, we were also connecting through the Karavanke tunnel," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that by the end of construction, 2300 tonnes of steel will have been installed in the Karavanke tunnel, which is equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower. "Our 'tower' will lie under the mountain, but this is, after all, the symbolism of Slovenia's people. We value our mountains, and it is not unusual for us to put our Eiffel Tower under a mountain, and for it to have political, economic and logistical value. Slovenians know how to live with mountains and know that they are one of the most challenging ecosystems. We know how to live with them and conquer them," added the Prime Minister, who also thanked the contractor, the Turkish company Cengiz.

However, the tunnel is not yet finished. The next step is to complete the excavation and other construction work, which is expected by the end of November, after which the electrical equipment will be installed. The new tunnel is expected to open to traffic in autumn 2027.

On the occasion of the ceremony, Prime Minister Golob also met with Peter Kaiser, the Governor of Carinthia.