The China Railway Tunnel Group on Tuesday completed the boring of a major tunnel in northern Georgia ahead of schedule, significantly boosting the country's connectivity.
Located approximately 2,000 meters above sea level in the southern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, the Gudauri Tunnel consists of a 9,000-meter main tunnel and emergency tunnels. It serves as an important hub in Georgia's corridor to Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and other neighboring countries.
The Chinese company used the largest caliber tunnel boring machine in Georgia's largest single infrastructure project.
With its operation, the tunnel will reduce travel time on the country's main north-south road from the town of Kvesheti to the town of Kobi by 40 minutes and eliminate traffic disruptions caused by avalanches and bad weather, which is expected to boost tourism and trade in northern Georgia.
The Gudauri Tunnel and related projects are part of the construction cooperation between Georgia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Major Chinese-built road tunnel completed in Georgia
Melting permafrost, increasing geographical disasters, and water shortage triggered by rising global temperatures are affecting the operation of Alpine huts, one of Switzerland's most cherished institutions, according to Schweizer Alpen-Club (SAC).
Alpine huts are central to Switzerland's mountain culture and tourism economy. They provide essential shelter, unique hospitality, and historical preservation across the Swiss Alps.
Originally built in late 19th and early 20th centuries as shelters for scientists and explorers, Swiss Alpine huts are now havens for hikers.
Most Alpine huts sit on permanently frozen ground, which acts like natural concrete stratum to keep mountain terrain stable.
As global temperature keeps rising, melting permafrost is loosening the foundation of roughly 40 percent of mountain huts, according to SAC.
Currently, about half of the Swiss mountain huts still offer spectacular views of snow-capped mountains and glaciers, but scientists predict that most of these glaciers will disappear by the end of this century.
"We can see from our mountain hut that every year, the glaciers in front of us keep melting and are becoming smaller and smaller," said a hut runner.
SAC said mountain regions bear the serious impacts of climate change.
"It's the hut that has also been shut down. You see, this is built on permafrost. You see, here, the cracks and you try to have it together stable with steel, but it didn't work anymore. Mountain regions experience climate change much stronger than global average. You see here, we have had, in the last 60 years, maybe roughly one degree on the global average rising temperatures. But in Switzerland and in the Alps, it's the double," said Philippe Wager, head of huts and environment at SAC.
High-altitude mountain huts are also facing water crisis as they rely primarily on winter snowpack and summer glacial meltwater as the major water source.
Melting glaciers and warmer winters, which bring less snow every year, jointly contribute to less water supplies.
Meanwhile, increasing geological hazards such as rockfalls, landslides and mudflows are also threatening safety of mountain huts and hikers.
Climate change threatens Swiss Alpine huts
