A new tunnel connecting Geneva’s international district with the motorway has "broken through", with hopes it will absorb a large amount of traffic from surface roads around Geneva and the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

New tunnel to connect Geneva airport and UN international district

The workers have been digging the tunnel since the project was approved in September 2017. The 500-metre long tunnel underneath the international district of Geneva, called the “Routes des Nations” (Route of Nations) will connect the district (which includes the United Nations) to the motorway and the airport, instead of congesting the surface streets.

"This is a project of major importance," said Serge Dal Busco, head of the Department of Infrastructure for Geneva, who hoped that the project would ease the pressure on roads in France and around the airport. Both sides “broke through” to each other last Friday, after delays were caused by “unexpected geological phenomenon” such as groundwater from the lake.

Tunnel to reduce traffic jams in Geneva and France

The work progressed at 70 centimetres each day and has dug out enough earth to fill 16 Olympic swimming pools, according to the council. The project will include a tunnel designed to accommodate up to 20.000 vehicles each day, and a tram line to be opened by mid-2025.

Despite the delay, the project is still on budget at 153 million Swiss francs. The first traffic will run through the tunnel by the summer of 2023.