The necessity of the tunnel was propounded by István Széchenyi. In 1850 József Ürményi founded a company for the construction of the tunnel. The construction started in 1853 based on Ádám Clark’s plans. The Tunnel was opened in 1857 and you had to pay for using it until 1918. The eastern gate of the tunnel was built in eclectically classicizing style. The western gate was destroyed in World War II therefore it was rebuilt in 1949.
The tunnel master’s service flat is on the eastern end of the tunnel (Clark Ádám square). There is a sidewalk on the southern side of the tunnel but using it is not recommended for pedestrians because of the noize caused by cars and the air pollution. A sign at the entrance draws your attention for this. Another sign on the top of the tunnel’s eastern exit warns people that climbing over the chain-link fence on the top of the gate is not only dangerous but banned.
In 2013 the top of the tunnel’s gate was renovated and a new railing was built – which fits into the cityscape – to prevent fatal accidents.
