 East portal (2012) | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sierre, Valais, Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 46°17′02″N7°31′55″E / 46.284°N 7.532°E |
| Route | A9 Autobahn |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 2,460 metres (8,070 ft) |
| Grade | Good |
The Sierre Tunnel (French : Tunnel de Sierre) is a tunnel near Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is part of the A9 Autobahn and is located between Sierre and Sierre-Est-Ouest.
The tunnel was opened in 1999 and consists of two tubes of 2,460 metres (8,070 ft) in length. In a tunnel test by the European Tunnel Assessment Programme (EuroTAP) in 2005 it was rated as "good" – the second-highest grade out of five. [1]
The two tubes consist of four linked tunnels, namely,
- Alusuisse — 1,070 metres (3,510 ft),
- Contoured — 620 metres (2,030 ft),
- Crête Plane — 180 metres (590 ft), and
- Ancien Sierre Plant Composition — 580 metres (1,900 ft).
The Sierre Tunnel came to international attention in March 2012 after a coach crash inside resulted in the deaths of 28 people, including 22 children, who were returning to Belgium from a school skiing holiday. [2]
