ZURICH, Switzerland, April 28 (UPI) -- Swiss engineers have completed work on their portion of the 21-mile long Loetschberg Alpine rail tunnel that will connect Germany and Italy.
The engineers Thursday blasted through the last few feet of rock for the tunnel, which is the world's third longest. It promises to change the structure of European transport, the BBC reported Thursday.
Switzerland is one of Europe's major junctions for freight, and the tunnel will help move cargo off roads and onto rail, the report said.
Currently, more than 4,000 heavy trucks cross the Swiss Alps every day, leading to traffic jams, air pollution and accidents.
"With the breakthrough we have carved out the mountain for all to see. We are moving on," said Moritz Leuenberger, Switzerland's transport minister.
