1y ago

Why is such a tunnel needed?

I found such a photo on the Internet and became interested in what function such a structure could perform.

130 comments

My guess is that it will be a “nature highway” so migratory species can cross over the road
- These are great for wildlife as they provide a safe crossing over high-speed highways. They are usually design to be in already existing migration paths where moving a proposed highway may not work and not disrupting migration paths is of importance.
  
  So they're literally building the mountain next year. Neat.
  
  Looks like a nice choke point for a predator to hang about.
  
  It's also amazing visually! Forget regular highways! Let's have buried highways! That's especially good for if our country is invaded because we can install physical barriers to logistical supply lines against us!
  
  That's beautiful ngl
- Sure looks like an animal crossing.
  
  Why do they put deer crossing signs on the highway? Why can’t they put them on smaller roads instead‽
  
  Definitely not Doom.
- This is the one! They're ridiculously effective, so much so that my home provinces is sinking like 250 million into building 5 more of them over the next 5 years
  
  It actually takes 50 million to make these? Gimme 50 good men who want to be millionaires and we can figure out the capital cost between us.
- Will there be compacted earth on top of the tunnel so animals can walk?
  
  Yep, they call them land bridges. More of a hill than a mountain, but the meme is right!
  
  revisit the comment thread as someone has now posted a photo
  
  ....literally what they just said?
- So I was technically right in saying it would be an overpass, and as we all know technically right is the best kind of right lol
- Nature is already a "nature highway", we fucked it up and now consultants sell the term "nature highway" to act like they are doing someone a favor. This is just restoring SOME man-made damage to an area to a less functional state than original for (hundreds of?) millions of dollars. Better than nothing sure, but not a "nature highway" for Simba, Timon and Pumba to dance and sing songs upon.

That's an unfinished nature bridge.
- Quite a common feature in Europe. Gives the animals safe passage over busy roads.
  
  not just that but it saves human lives as well by reducing animal collisions.
  
  More or less safe. Predators often camp these choke points for obvious reasons.
  
  Common in New Jersey too. Were essentially Europe of America.
- My first thought as well.
  
  Also my first thought.
- We are not talking about https://naturebridge.eu/pages/about-us, are we?

They disrupt the nature a little less. Animals aren’t hit crossing the street because they can go over and other small benefits like that. They also look nice and tunnels are fun when your car sounds nice
- Yep, I love a good nature bridge!

It's not finished. It will look like this when they complete it. It's a nature bridge.
- If a duct that transfers water is an Aquaduct, then a duct that transfers nature is an Ecoduct
  
  What about a duct that transfers ducks?
  
  In that case, the bridge in OP's image is currently just an airduct.
- The caption is a joke, but it's basically correct.

We had a few of these built in my country to allow wildlife to cross safely.
- We’ve had a few of these built on my planet too actually
- That was my first guess about its purpose. Thanks for the info!

This kind of looks like the new one they're building in Banff National park. I drove through over the summer when they started it. They have a bunch of them set up throughout the park.
https://discoverapega.ca/stories/wildlife-crossings-key-to-highway-safety-in-banff/

Coquihalla highway has something like this to keep avalanches and rocks off the road.
It's the only tunnel I've driven that has windows.
Great Bear Snow Shed https://maps.app.goo.gl/HJUSEtGB2Jg8FFTN7
- Italy and austria have a lor of those because of the mountains.
- This was my assumtion as well. Colorado (I.E. Red Mountain Pass) has such things for avalanches and rock slides.

// TODO: Support mountain package when it releases

I should call her...
- Nice beaver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_crossing

Could be for a skii-slope as well. There are similar structures in Are, Sweden for example.
- On ski mountains these are usually placed in an avalanche prone area to stop the snow blocking the road

They're probably going to build an overpass on top of it later
- I think that the overpass needs more powerful supports
  
  Curved Tunnel ceilings are quite strong, as they distribute the pressure of the surrounding rock/soil quite well. So if it is covered with loads of rocks and soil it could probably hold another street passing over.
  
  I suppose it would depend on what is passing over.
  
  Nature bridge