A record-breaking tunnel through the Swiss Alps, set to change travel in Europe, is to be inaugurated on Wednesday.
The Gotthard base tunnel will enter the record books as the world’s longest railway tunnel, stretching 57km (35 miles) underneath the mountains of Switzerland.
It burrows deeper - 1.4 miles (2.3km) - than any other rail tunnel.
The railway will take the load of the one million lorries which carry goods across the route each year, helping to reduce air pollution in the region.
Once it opens for commercial service in December after 17 years of construction work, the two-way tunnel will take up to 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains per day, the Associated Press reported.
Reuters
It will cut travel times, ease roadway traffic and draw cargo from pollution-spewing lorries trucking between Europe's north and south.
Communities in the nearby valleys have long complained about air and noise pollution, the BBC reported.
According to the Alpine Initiative, one lorry causes three times as much pollution in the Alps as it does on the plains.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Alpine weather conditions and the particular topography of the region concentrates pollutants over a long period of time, posing a risk to residents as well as local wildlife.
The Initiative claimed that rising numbers of children in areas with high levels of transit traffic are now suffering with asthma and chronic bronchitis.
But the new Gotthard tunnel will mean that goods that are currently transported along the route by a million lorries each year will now travel by train.
NASA/Wikipedia
The tunnel will also knock 45 minutes off the journey time between Zurich in northern Switzerland and Lugano at the Italian border.
Construction saw more than 28 million tonnes of rock excavated and some 2,600 people employed.
Nine workers died during the works.
Christian Hartmann / Reuters
Speaking ahead of its inauguration, federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler labelled the tunnel "a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy”.
According to Reuters, he said: "It is just part of the Swiss identity.
"For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans."
The first people to travel through the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 winners of a ticket lottery, along with their guests.
Gotthard Base Tunnel
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An employee of AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd and a visitor stand at the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Erstfeld May 7, 2012. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT TRAVEL) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann addresses guests during the opening ceremony of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland June 1, 2016. The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc (23.1 billion USD) infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail below the Alps, as much as 2.3 km (1.7 miles) under the mountain chain, that divides Europe's north and south. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Journalists stand beside rail tracks at the construction site in the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Sedrun April 2, 2013. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLANDBUSINESS TRAVEL - Tags: TRAVEL BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT CONSTRUCTION) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Journalists walk in front of mock gates of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel inside the event hall for the upcoming opening ceremony near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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A train drives past the northern gates of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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(R-L) Imam Bekim Alimi, Chief of the Security Division of the Federal Office of Transport Pieter Zeilstra, Rabbi Marcel Yair Ebel, Reverend Simona Rauch and Father Martin Werlen, take part to the benediction of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, during its official opening in Amsteg, Switzerland June 1, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Railway tracks are seen in the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Amsteg September 3, 2014. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles). The tunnel will open in 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORT SOCIETY) (credit:Ruben Sprich / Reuters)
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A statue of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, stands in front of the northern entrances of the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Erstfeld May 7, 2012. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT TRAVEL) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Workers cycle past the northern entrances of the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Erstfeld May 7, 2012. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT TRAVEL) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Smoke billows from a cliff face after the detonation of an overhanging rock over the railway and the A2 motorway, Switzerland's main north-south connection through the Alps, near Gurtnellen, June 18, 2012. The railway that forms a vital connection between Germany and Italy through the Gotthard tunnel was closed after a rock slide trapped workers last month, killing one. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: DISASTER TRANSPORT) (credit:Christian Hartmann / Reuters)
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(L-R) Swiss Federal Councillor Corina Casanova, Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications Doris Leuthard, Swiss President and Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Defence Minister Ueli Maurer, Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and Interior Minister Alain Berset pose for photographers during their visit at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel in Sedrun, September 5, 2012. With a length of 57 km (35 miles) crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Lauener (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS TRANSPORT) (credit:Pascal Lauener / Reuters)
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A combination of four pictures shows smoke billowing from a cliff face after the detonation of an overhanging rock over the railway and the A2 motorway, Switzerland's main north-south connection through the Alps, near Gurtnellen, June 18, 2012. The railway that forms a vital connection between Germany and Italy through the Gotthard tunnel was closed after a rock slide trapped workers last month, killing one. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: DISASTER TRANSPORT) (credit:Christian Hartmann / Reuters)
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A worker stands on the special train 'Helvetia' in the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Erstfeld May 7, 2012. The train, which is 481 metres (1578 ft) long and weighs 787 tons, is constructed to produce concrete for the installation of the railway tracks in the tunnel. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles ) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT TRAVEL) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Workers drive on a special vehicle during the installation of the railway tracks in the NEAT Gotthard Base tunnel near Erstfeld May 7, 2012. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles) REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT TRAVEL) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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A miner stands in front of the drill machine 'Sissi' after it broke through the rock at the final section Faido-Sedrun, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel October 15, 2010. With a length of 57 km (35 miles) crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION POLITICS) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE (credit:Christian Hartmann / Reuters)
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A miner stands in front of a giant drill machine after it broke through at the final section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a lenght of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND) March 23, 2011 (BUSINESS TRAVEL EMPLOYMENT) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Miners wave with the flags of their home countries as they celebrate after a giant drill machine broke through the rock at the final section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS TRAVEL EMPLOYMENT) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Miners and visitors take pictures as a giant drill machine breaks through the rock at the western tunnel section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a lenght of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS TRAVEL EMPLOYMENT) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Members of the mine rescue brigade use hoses to spray water as a drill machine breaks through the rock at the western tunnel section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Miners hold a statue of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, as fireworks explode after a giant drill machine broke through the rock at the final section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016. The project consists of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a lenght of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS TRAVEL EMPLOYMENT) (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Miners watch as the drill machine 'Sissi' breaks through the rock at the final section Faido-Sedrun, at the construction site of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel October 15, 2010. With a length of 57 km (35 miles) crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (SWITZERLAND - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION POLITICS) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE (credit:Christian Hartmann / Reuters)
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The northern gate of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel is seen near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland March 10, 2016. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016, consisting of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (credit:Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)
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Artists perform during a show on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the world, at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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A performer takes part in a show during the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / POOL / RUBEN SPRICH (Photo credit should read RUBEN SPRICH/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during a show on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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Performers take part in a show during the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016.The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / POOL / PETER KLAUNZER (Photo credit should read PETER KLAUNZER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:PETER KLAUNZER via Getty Images)
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Performers take part in a show during the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / POOL / RUBEN SPRICH (Photo credit should read RUBEN SPRICH/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during the opening show directed by German director Volker Hesse, on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the world, at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / POOL / PETER KLAUNZER (Photo credit should read PETER KLAUNZER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:PETER KLAUNZER via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during a show on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016.The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1.The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during a show on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016.The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1.The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, near the town of Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016.The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1. The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
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Artists perform during a show on the opening day of the Gotthard rail tunnel at the fairground Rynaecht at the northern portal in Erstfeld, Switzerland, on June 1, 2016.The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1.The 57-kilometre (35.4-mile) tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)