Safety requirements for road tunnels over 500 m in length in the trans-European road network (TERN) are the subject of the new EU Directive 2004/54/EC. Details are given of the duties and responsibilities of the owner and traffic requirements. A total of 515 TERN tunnels more than 500 m in length have been identified, 50% of which are in Italy. Contributing factors to the risk of tunnel fires include insufficient coordination between emergency organisations and a lack of harmonisation of safety information, communication and equipment. The primary objective of the Directive is to prevent critical events that endanger human life, the environment, tunnel structure and installations. The secondary objective is the reduction of possible consequences of events such as accidents by enabling people to rescue themselves, allowing immediate intervention of road users, ensuring efficient action by emergency services, protecting the environment and limiting material damage. The organisational, technical and operational requirements set up in the Directive are outlined. The expected benefits and consequences of the Directive are discussed.
Abstract