Italy and Austria have been connected by the longest railway tunnel in the world.

The workers from Italy and Austria have achieved a historic moment by simultaneously breaking through the Alps, uniting the two countries at a depth of 1,500 meters.

The project, estimated at over 10 billion euros, will be 64 kilometers long and, once completed, will become the longest railway tunnel in the world.

The works began 19 years ago, and the meeting of the two tunnels was marked by almost perfect synchronization, despite the use of different excavation techniques: the Italians used hydraulic equipment, while the Austrians used controlled blasting techniques.

Although they met with a difference of just a few centimeters, the works are not yet completed, and the completion deadline is set for 2032. With the opening of the tunnel, the travel time between Innsbruck and Fortezza will be significantly reduced, from 80 minutes to just 25 minutes.

This route is extremely congested, being crossed annually by 2.5 million trucks and 14 million vehicles.