A trip through the challenging Roki Tunnel

Roki Tunnel (Roksky Tunnel) is an international high mountain tunnel at an elevation of 2,130m (6,988ft) above the sea level, located on the border of North Ossetia–Alania Republic of Russia and Georgia.

Roki Tunnel

Where is Roki Tunnel?

Set high in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region, the tunnel is traversed by the paved Transcaucasian Highway.

How long is Roki Tunnel?

Built by the Soviet authorities in 1984, the 2-lane tunnel is 3,730 metres (12,240 ft) long. It is the largest tunnel in the European part of Russia. It bypassed the infamous Roki Pass (Rokskiy Pereval), at about 3,000 meters altitude, which can only be used in summer. In October 2015 the tunnel was reconstructed after the Russo-Georgian War.

Is Roki Tunnel open?

The road is 58.0 km (36.03 miles) long running from Gori (North Ossetia–Alania Republic of Russia) and Java (in the region of Shida Kartli of Georgia). In the winter months the road is often closed due to the danger of avalanches. The tunnel is the only road joining North Ossetia–Alania in the Russian Federation into South Ossetia, a breakaway republic of Georgia. It’s said that the tunnel is the entrance point for narcotics and alcohol north into Russia, while oil and arms move south into Georgia. 
Pic: http://osetia.info/news/main/2011/07/28/18-48/