A unique stacked tunnel in Hilversum (NL)

This is the Alexia Tunnel in Hilversum, a tunnel for motor traffic. This is the Alexia Tunnel in Hilversum, a tunnel for cycling. Wait, what? That's right, the Alexia Tunnel is the only stacked tunnel in the Netherlands... consisting of a deeper and longer car tunnel... combined with a shorter cycling tunnel on top of it. Both were built to serve as an underpass for the existing railway... and a new high-speed bus road. The tunnel replaces the original level railway crossing. Because the city also planned a new bus road... a level crossing was no longer sufficient at this location. Due to the buildings on the east ring road of Hilversum being so close together... there was no space for cycleways next to a car tunnel. The city investigated what would be the most cost-effective solution... and that was the stacked tunnel, which is only 10 meters wide. This meant all the existing buildings could be retained... even though the building activities had to take place... less than a meter from some of those buildings. It took almost two and a half years to build the stacked tunnel. It was opened in August 2022. The covered part for the cars is exactly 249 meters long... one meter below the threshold for tunnel regulations... which makes operation a lot easier. The total length, including the ramps, is 400 meters. Longer than a usual railway underpass... but that is due to the cycling tunnel on top of this car tunnel. The cycling part is covered for only 50 meters. This is relatively short, which makes it a clear underpass and not dark at all. This is also helped by the lighting and by the bright decor on the walls. Artist Louisa Hessel designed the artwork for the cycling tunnel. She chose a pattern of leaves... created by 1.75 million drilled holes in the aluminium plating covering the walls. For pedestrians there is a shortcut. Stairs that also seem to connect with the emergency exits for the car tunnel. When signs are needed to forbid something... that is always an indication of a design flaw. Indeed, the edge of the tunnel could be dangerous to play on. But the signs do not prevent children from playing on that edge. Thanks to the tunnel there is a bit of extra green in the neighborhood. Before the opening some people feared... that the inclines of the cycling tunnel would be too steep. The grades do follow regulations, but they are indeed on the high end. When I filmed I did see some people choosing to push their bicycles. All in all, this tunnel seems like an improvement for the neighborhood. Not least for the residents closest to the railway... who now have a lot less traffic noise to endure.