The Gotthard Base Tunnel is also the first flat route through the Alps or any other major mountain range, with a maximum height of 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level, corresponding to that of Berne.
The total Alps transit projected cost of the project was 9.8 billion Swiss francs (€8.85 billion, US$10.3 billion; the final cost exceeded $12 billion. Nine people died during construction.
