# Travel >> Transportation >> Trains

How Deep Is the Channel Tunnel?

Work on both sides of the English channel tunnel or Chunnel started in 1987. In French name is the Le tunnel sous la Manche and it's considered a wonder of the modern world. It's also on the list compiled by The American Society of Civil Engineers.

Path and Depth
- The White Cliffs of Dover, which are chalk
  
  The tunnel's path runs from Folkestone, Kent, near Dover in the United Kingdom to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, near Calais in northern France. At its lowest point, it's 246 to 250 feet deep. The tunnel averages 150 feet deep.
History
- Seasickness was one reason for building the tunnel.
  
  The Channel tunnel had been discussed for about a century, but in the 1980s the French and English government commissioned studies and chose a railway tunnel. The Lower Chalk was the most stable pathway because it was waterproof, and thick and stable enough, so they tunneled through the chalk from both sides.
Dangers in the Tunnel
- There was always fear of a buildup of car exhaust fumes, which is why the tunnel was built for trains. There already has been a disastrous fire in the tunnel in 2008.