The tunnel talk has gone on for forty years. So the EU stepped up by giving Slovenia 35 million euro of the eventual 53 million euro total cost. The route was confirmed in 1991, the year Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia. The financial details were resolved in 2006 and construction started in 2013, the year I got here.
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE NEW TUNNEL, ONE WAY TRAFFIC ONLY
Natasa and I made a bike ride we call the “Super 8”, it’s 8 km from Skofja Loka. For 2 years we rode on the new “highway”, before it opened. It was really interesting watching the tunnel and new road take shape. I took photos all during the construction up to and including the opening ceremony.
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- TRENCHING TO MOVE WATER FROM THE HILLSIDE
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- THEY LAID PIPE IN THE TRENCH
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- PLACING “BIG” ROCKS FOR STONE WALL
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- FINISH WORK ON THE STONE RETAINING WALL
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- UNFINISHED ROAD
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- WHERE TUNNEL COMES OUT
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- TUNNEL IS THROUGH, BUT INTO A PILE OF DIRT
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- BRIDGE
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- WE CONSTANTLY RODE BACK TO SEE HOW THIS WAS GOING TO BE PUT TOGETHER
Slovenia is mountainous, so there are lots of tunnels, it must be quicker in the long run to bore through the mountain, than build a road over the mountain. I walked and rode my bike through several times, days before the official opening.
THESE ARE PICTURES A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL OPENING
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- TO REMOVE WATER OR KEEP YOU AWAKE WHILE YOUR DRIVING? i JUST DON’T KNOW
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- VIEW OF THE OLD ROAD
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- FINISHED BRIDGE & RETAINING WALLS
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- SOUND PROOFING WALL
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- WOOD FIBER PANELS
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- PUT A BIRD ON IT
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- NATURAL ROCK WALL COMBINED WITH BUILT STONE WALL
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- FENCING USED TO KEEP ROCKS OFF THE ROAD
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- THE ROAD ON THE RIGHT IS THE NEW SUPER 8 ROUTE
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- THE ROAD NOW ON THE LEFT IS PART OF SUPER 8
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- LAST TIME THIS DOG WILL BE LEASH FREE ON THE HIGHWAY.
in the middle of the tunnel it echoes and is noisy, but they wrapped 10 meters at each end of the tunnel in soundproofing material. It’s amazing how quiet it is, probably to help the neighbors sleep at night. The day of the opening I was riding to Ljubljana, so I stopped by for a last look. A worker stopped me, I explained (In English), I wanted to just ride through, then he waved me through. I know it was the English that got me through. , he obviously didn’t speak any.
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- NORTHEAST TUNNEL ENTRANCE
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- SOUTHWEST TUNNEL ENTRANCE
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- A DRONE TO CAPTURE THE EVENT
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- NO PROJECT WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A RELIGIOUS SACRAMENT
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- EMERGENCY TUNNEL ESCAPE IN THE MIDDLE OF TUNNEL
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- EMERGENCY TUNNEL ONE WAY
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- THEN THE OTHER WAY
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- EMERGENCEY TUNNEL PANORAMIC VIEW
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- I KNOW WHERE ALL THE POLICE ARE TODAY.
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- LOTS OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP
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- SKOFJA LOKA’S MAYOR, MIHA DEDICATING THE TUNNEL
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- THE BICYCLES WERE THE FIRST ONES ALLOWED TO RIDE THROUGH THE TUNNEL
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- CLASSIC COW BIKE HORN
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- WOODEN FRONT WHEEL
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- AND WOODEN REAR WHEEL
We were out of town when they had a celebration for reclaming of the old town. The big trucks and lines of cars waiting to get between the buildings, it was time for a tunnel. The tunnel seems to be mostly good except for one thing.
WITH ALL THE CARS PASSING BY HERE, HITCHHIKING USE TO BE EASY
NOW? NO CARS AND NO HITCHHIKERS
Natasa talked with the people who live on the ‘old” road. They said big trucks were still using the old road and felt the new road wasn’t on truckers GPS yet, who knows.
I’ve been super busy, hence not much blogging, but rest assured we’ve got lots of adventures to share, that’s why we’ve been busy. There’s a balance between living the adventures here in Slovenia and writing about them.
I came across this article on BBC about Slovenia:: THE LAKE AT THE END OF THE WORLD
I’m going to England for the Climate Change March on Nov. 29, then Bristol to see Courtney Barnett, then to Paris where the World Climate Change Summit is taking place.. First I plan to volunteer for the protest and in between be a tourist for a couple days.
IF WE SAY “IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN” THEY’LL LISTEN!?
LAST TIME I CHECKED CRAIGSLIST THERE WASN’T ANOTHER PLANET FOR SALE. LET’S TAKE CARE OF THE ONE WE HAVE.
If your in London on Nov. 28 or Paris Dec. 12, email me and we’ll meet up at the Protest.
and whoever you are out there, thanks for reading our blog.
NEXT: MUSHROOM PICKING IN SLOVENIA
TILL NEXT TIME
JEFF
I PLAN TO SEE THE “THEE OH SEES” IN LONDON
Hi! Sounds like things are going great there. Boy, that is really a super cool tunnel. You’ll have to show it to me when I come to visit. Best of luck with the protest – YOU GO!!!!!
mary
Should be interesting going to the protest given what is going on in Europe right now. Keep us informed. Are you going to celebrate Thanksgiving?
Natasa is sounding concerns and hinting at me maybe changing my mind about going to Paris. If I don’t go then the terrorist win? The definition of terrorism : … Involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life… that pretty much defines Climate Change too. The industrial world is committing terrorism on the whole world. Hopefully the Paris Climate summit will result in some concrete solutions, instead of empty talks and promises. That’s why I’m going, to be heard.
No to Thanksgiving here. My Grandma had the best Thanksgivings ever. I do cook turkey here for Christmas dinner. I love turkey and it’s on almost every menu here, I had some tonight in fact.
Yes. The world is out of balance in so many ways. You’ve worked hard in your own life to create sanity and health. An example for us all.