The Karawankentunnel, located on the border of Austria and Slovenia, near the town of Villach, Austria, runs underneath the alp of the same name for 4.88 miles, allowing A11/A2 motorists to save a great deal of time. The alternative is a mountain pass via the E652 direct to Klagenfurt or the 82 to Volkermarkt. The steep gradients of these roads (22% and 23%, respectively) make the otherwise steep 7 Euro tunnel toll look a bit less daunting.
When the tunnel was dug, during the turn of the last century, two (or four, depending on how you look at it) companies, Brand-Lhuillier and Siemens-Schuckert, designed a special tunnel-digging electric locomotive called the E1. The basic design, updated with the 60's era "Garden House" carbody, is still in service throughout Europe's narrow gauge railroad network.
In 1991 the Austrian artist Ruth Schnell installed Waterfence, a piece of interactive water art, at the mouth of the tunnel.
