ABSTRACT
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine large infrastructure projects without considering the consequences on the landscape and, therefore, the necessary measures to lessen their impact. Tunnel portals, construction sites and final landfills for the excavated material all require large swaths of land and countryside. What are the visible effects on the landscape, three years after the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and what was done with the 24 million tons of excavated material? The strict Swiss regulations specify suitable replacement and compensatory measures, from a large number of small actions in close proximity to the new track, extending to some macro-interventions involving substantial investment. The large deposits of excavated material are an emblematic example of the macro-measures taken. Today the material deposits appear, to the external observer, as green planted hills and naturalistic areas. This helps to ensure public acceptance of large underground projects.
