Commencement of driving of the said tunnel was on behalf of the investor (Highways and Motorways Directorate) witnessed by its representative - Ing. Alois Lichnovský, Director of the Plant Prague. Invitation to this event was accepted by the representative of the joint venture, Ing. Jiří Svoboda and by the representative of the contractor on the mentioned tunnel Ing. Tomáš Bílek, CEO and General Director of the HOCHTIEF CZ.

The importance of this project was stressed by prof. Ing. Roman Makarius, CSc., Chairman of the Czech Mining Office, who fitted the tunnel wall with a statue of St. Barbara, patron saint of miners and tunnel builders. The second patron of this project is Ing. Marie Nádvorníková, investor’s representative, who gave her name to the shaft. Under the leadership of an experienced excavator operator the patron performed “the first dig” in the tunnel portal and thus commenced tunnel driving works. She then, together with prof. Makarius, unveiled a commemorative plaque stating the tunnel’s name and the date of December 4th, 2006.