Ten tonnes of explosives were used to double the capacity of the tunnel at a popular Hungarian holiday destination

It took three years to complete the new parallel section of the Ucka Tunnel, allowing two lanes of traffic. The tunnel, which has been in operation since 1981, was a single-lane tunnel and was widened to two lanes in three years.

Traffic was uninterrupted in the other tunnel during the works

The biggest challenges of the project were the blasts, Dario Silic, director of the tunnel construction company Bina Istra, told Croatian Public Television (HRT). Ten tonnes of liquid explosives were used and more than 30 cavities and cracks were bridged.
The works were carried out while traffic was secured throughout the existing tunnel.

The equivalent of half the Eiffel Tower's steel was installed

Five hundred people worked on the project using state-of-the-art technology. The interview also revealed that 1.2 million tonnes of rubble were excavated and 3,000 tonnes of steel were used in the works, as much as half of the Eiffel Tower.

The investment will give a new boost to tourism

The investment cost €200 million and there were no additional costs. Silic added that the new line is 5.6 kilometres long and is the most modern in Croatia, strong and safe. The road was also tested with cars before it was opened and the ventilation, control and traffic systems were checked. The new tunnel could give a further boost to tourism in the region, with 95 per cent of tourists arriving on the eastern coast of the Istria peninsula arriving by car.