Democracy made world’s longest tunnel possible

People travelling through the Gotthard tunnel when it opens on Sunday to scheduled passenger traffic will have direct democracy to thank for their speedier journey. In 1992, Swiss voters went to the polls and approved a CHF10 billion ($10 billion) construction project, billed as the greatest of the century for the country. The Gotthard Base Tunnel – at 57 km (35 miles) – was the centerpiece of plans to build a series of tunnels linking the north of the Alps with the south, significantly cutting travel times. With costs running higher than expected, the Swiss were asked again – this time in 1998 – to approve an increase of the budget to CHF15.5 billion, which they did. (The costs are currently at nearly CHF24 billion, with about half for the Gotthard section.) According to historian, Georg Kreis, it’s nothing short of a miracle that such a costly project could win approval at the ballot box since citizens can launch initiatives to shoot them down. The professor at the ...