How long does it take to drive through the Homer Tunnel?

The journey through only takes a minute or two, and before you know it, you emerge into the light. The Milford Road is an amazing journey, and as you can see from the pictures, the tunnel is surrounded by towering peaks.

Is the Homer Tunnel one way?

The tunnel is straight and was originally single-lane and gravel-surfaced. The tunnel walls remain unlined granite. The east portal end is at 945 m elevation; the tunnel runs 1270 m at approximately a 1:10 gradient down to the western portal.

How many people died making the Homer Tunnel?

‘Avalanche kills two workers at the Homer Tunnel,’ New Zealand History online, accessed 26 August 2015.

How high above sea level is the Homer Tunnel?

The Homer Tunnel, at an altitude of 945 m above sea level, pierces the sheer rock to allow road access to Milford Sound. The completion of the tunnel in 1953, (1.2 km) was an extraordinary achievement.

What is the longest tunnel in New Zealand?

Longest tunnels New Zealand’s two longest road tunnels are the Homer Tunnel and the Lyttelton tunnel. The Homer Tunnel was first suggested in 1890 as a route to Milford Sound. Work on it finally began in 1935 as an unemployment relief project with little more than shovels and wheelbarrows.

How long did it take to build the Homer Tunnel?

Just before the Milford Road begins its descent through the Cleddau Valley into Milford Sound, it passes through the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2km-long tunnel through solid rock. Before the tunnel opened in 1954 after 19 years of construction, there was no road access to Milford Sound.

How many tunnels are there in Auckland?

We operate seven major tunnels on the NZ state highway network. The State highway environmental plan requires that we ‘maintain and operate all air quality management/air pollution mitigation measures, such as road tunnel ventilation systems correctly to ensure they continue to provide the designed level of mitigation.

Are there tunnels under Auckland?

Beneath the ground in central Auckland’s Albert Park lies a series of air raid tunnels which have been left almost untouched since the 1940s. The tunnels were built in 1942 to act as an air raid shelter for up to 22,000 Aucklanders during World War II.

What’s the longest tunnel in NZ?

Lyttelton tunnel
Longest tunnels New Zealand’s two longest road tunnels are the Homer Tunnel and the Lyttelton tunnel. The Homer Tunnel was first suggested in 1890 as a route to Milford Sound. Work on it finally began in 1935 as an unemployment relief project with little more than shovels and wheelbarrows.

What is Homer Tunnel on New Zealand’s Milford Road?

The Homer Tunnel on New Zealand’s Milford Road, is an engineering triumph, and allows access to the stunning Milford Sound. The Homer Tunnel is just one of the many amazing features on the Milford Road (part of State Highway 94), one of the world’s finest drives, which takes you from Te Anau to New Zealand’s number one attraction, Milford Sound.

How far is the Homer Tunnel from Queenstown?

The tunnel is around 100 kilometers from Te Anau, and around 18 kilometers from Milford Sound. From Queenstown, it’s around 270 kilometers to the Homer Tunnel, and from Dunedin, around 390 kilometers.

Can you drive through the Homer Tunnel?

Before the tunnel opened in 1954 after 19 years of construction, there was no road access to Milford Sound. Although the Homer Tunnel is wide enough for a bus and a small vehicle to pass each other, traffic lights operate during the busy summer months to keep it safe. The tunnel is a fairly steep 1:10 gradient running east to west.

How did the Homer Tunnel get its name?

The tunnel passes through the Darran mountain range, below the Homer Saddle, and into the Cleddau Valley, 945 metres above sea level. Both the tunnel and saddle are named after William Henry Homer, who discovered the saddle along with George Barber in 1889 while on a surveying expedition.