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| The exit of a short tunnel in the quarry of Sainta Anna, 2 km south of Peyrolles, part of the Traconnade aqueduct of Aix-en-Provence (France). |
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| View on a part of the 1051 m long Eupalinos tunnel, the major component of the archaic aqueduct (530 BC) which brought fresh water from Agiades (NW of present Pythagorion, Samos island, Greece) to ancient Samos. Note the view on the lower level of tunnel in which the actual water pipe line is still extant. |
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| A nice view into one of the channels of the double bridge crossing a tributary of the Fosso di Gregorio in the Valle Barberini, 40 km east of Rome. Note the peculiar roof and its formwork. Just after this double bridge a 4.000 m long tunnel in the Aqua Anio Novus started. |
Longest Aqueduct Tunnels
For a long time the subterranean aqueduct of Bologna (Italy) was the longest known Roman aqueduct tunnel, but recently research by Doring revealed a 91 km long tunnel of the aqueduct of Gadara (partly Syria and Jordan).A tunnel could be dug from both sides of a mountain, as was done under control of the Roman engineer Nonius Datus in the course of the famous aqueduct of Saldae (Algeria). An other method was derived from the Persian qanat construction: vertical shafts were dug at regular distances and at a given depth horizontal galleries were made towards the adjacent shafts thus forming the aqueduct tunnel. This system was also helpful to maintain the right direction.
The most famous ancient aqueduct tunnel was the one made under supervision of Eupalinos on the Greek island of Samos (550 BC !!) to supply the town of Samos / present Pythagorion: over 1.000 m long, dug in almost straight line from opposite ends of the Kastro mountain.
Apart from aqueduct tunnels the Roman also applied tunnel to drain lakes in ancient volcano craters like at Lake Nemi; this type of tunnel is called emissarium.
The longest Roman road tunnel was the Cocceius tunnel near Naples, 'only' over 900 m long.
| Name aqueduct | Tunnel length (m) | Literature | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadara, Wadis es-Sallale | 94.000 | Doring 2007a | Partly in Syria and Jordan; up to 80 m deep |
| Bologne (Italy) | over 18.000 | Grewe 2008 | Up to 18 m deep |
| Gadara, Et Turra (Jordan) | 11.000 | Doring 2007a | Up to 80 m deep |
| Aix-en-Provence, Tracconade aqueduct (France) | over 8.000 | Leveau 2006b | Vernelles tunnel; over 80m deep |
| Athens, Peisistratid aqueduct (Greece) | ca 6.000 | Chiotis2012A | Lewis2001 pag 197: 7 km |
| Forino (Italy) | ca 6.000 | Keenan-Jones2010 | Part of the Aqua Augusta / Serino aqueduct |
| Avezzano, Lake Fuscino (Italy) | 5.642 | Grewe 2008; Castellani 1991: 5595m | Emissarium; up to 122 m deep |
| Cella (Spain) | ca. 5.000 | Moreno 2010 | incl. 140 shafts up to 60 m deep |
| Rome, Anio Novus | 4.000 | Van Deman 1934 pag 289, Aicher; Ashby 1935: 2250m | In the Valle Barberini |
| Jerusalem (Israel) | 2.800 | Grewe 1998 | High-level aqueduct; also infiltration gallery |
| Side (Turkey) | 2.260 | Grewe 1998 | Out of a series of 16 |
| Paterno (Italy) | 1.903 | Keenan-Jones2010 | Part of the Aqua Augusta / Serino aqueduct |
| Duren (Germany) | 1.660 | Grewe 2008 | Drover Berg; up to 26 m deep |
| Nemi, Lake Nemi (Italy) | 1.600 | Grewe 1998, 2008, Castellani 1991 | Emissarium |
| Castel Gandolfo, Lake Albano (Italy) | 1.400 | Grewe 2008, Castellani 1991 | Emissarium |
| Syracuse (Italy) | 1.385 | Grewe 1998 | Ninfeo aqueduct, classical period |
| Kolan -> Caska [Cissa] (Croatia) | 1.160 | Bozic 2004 | On the island of Pag |
| Samos, Eupalinos tunnel | 1.036 | Grewe 1988, 2008 | Pre-Roman: appr. 500 BC; 170 m below the top |
| Cuma (Italy) | 906 | Doring 2007c; Keenan-Jones 2010: 970m | Adjacent to the Grotta Cocceio street tunnel |
| Naples, Grotta Neapolitana (Italy) | 750 | Doring 2007c | |
| Ariccia, Lake Ariccia (Italy) | 650 | Grewe 2008, Castellani 1991 | Emissarium |
| Walferdange (Luxembourg) | 600 | Grewe 2008 | Raspetzer Tunnel; up to 36 m deep |
| Jerusalem (Israel) | 533 | Grewe 2008 | Hezekiah / Siloam tunnel |
| Saldae (Algeria) | 428 | Grewe 2008 | Advisor / Engineer: Nonius Datus |
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