Arguably even more historic than the Toyota/GM king-of-the-hill news, is word that Russia and the U.S. are planning a tunnel under the Bering Strait to transport vehicles, trains and most important—energy, as in oil, natural gas and electricity. This 64-mile tunnel will be twice as long as the tunnel between England and France. The project is expected to take 10 to 15 years and will cost around $15 billion...
I see this as a profound development in that Asia, Europe and North America will finally be linked by pavement and rail. No longer will it require transportation via sea or air to go between these continents. This has major implications for all parties involved, and could do wonders to bridge the diverse cultures, not to mention the huge economic development that will result along the access roads to this tunnel. The question I have is how will they deal with future earthquakes, as this area is in the heart of "Earthquake Central."
Full story here and here.
Full story here and here.
jriz says:
03:49 PM, 04/25/07
Finally, an easier way to travel from Nome to Vladivostok! The ferry ride was always such a pain.
estreka says:
06:32 AM, 04/26/07
Now the question is, how do I get there? ;-)
It sounds pretty cool though. That's a lot of money.
gmguy111 says:
07:17 AM, 04/26/07
I doubt it will happen iits too much of a finacial burden. It is estimated that it will be sevral million dollars just to do a work study of the site and then put in the cost of building the tunnel itself and I think that Russia and the U.S will find that the 15 billion dollar price tag and the liability for future earthquakes in the area will be too great
carlisimo says:
08:39 AM, 04/26/07
We're pretty good at designing for earthquakes. The only question is "is it worth it?" and when oil involved the answer is often yes. Not sure why'd they bother to build more than just a pipeline though...
flicmod says:
11:25 AM, 04/26/07
Who wants to foot the bill? I sure don't... even as cool as it sounds. With $15 billion in funding, we could use that here to upgrade our existing infrastructure rather than link two continents together. It's not the smartest use of assets, if you ask me.
I view it nothing more than an over-ambitious "World Wonder" wannabe.
estreka says:
11:35 AM, 04/26/07
Well, China's fitting much of the bill.
joberg says:
01:57 PM, 04/26/07
I can see a rail line being built, but why in the world would they build a road for cars and trucks. On both sides of the sea, we are talking about places "you can't get to from here."
rsholland says:
03:21 PM, 04/26/07
Joberg, Maybe not yet, but you have to look to the future. Remember, there were a lot of people 150 years ago who couldn't fathom moving out west. Or said: "Build a tunnel under the Hudson River? never happen..."
and...
Who said Seward was nuts suggesting to buy Alaska.
flicmod says:
05:53 AM, 04/27/07
I'll happily be lumped into the "Seward's Folly" crowd for now. If the time comes that they DO build this thing and it proves itself as an economical marvel and opens up previously unseen doors, then I'll be willing to admit my wrong-thinking.
But until then...
rsholland says:
06:58 AM, 04/27/07
flicmod, I don't think you or I will see the benefits, but our grandchildren will, maybe even our kids.
bbechtel16 says:
07:58 AM, 04/27/07
If you read the articles they're claiming it will pay for itself relatively quickly. It sounds like China and Russia will be footing a majority of the bill as well. It is admittedly pretty far-fetched, but certainly possible. The tunnels alone are much cheaper than the pipeline being proposed to transport natural gas from the North Slope to the lower 48. Apparently Russia wants to sell us some electricity though some ridiculously heavy duty wires running through the proposed tunnels. Sounds like it will support just about everything: highway, rail line, communications, electricity, and pipelines.
Of course this idea raises the stakes greatly in terms of foreign relations. Specifically if a nation or terrorism organization attacked such a link/structure. These things need to undergo careful, through, examination. Also, like any huge project, this could go the way of the Big Dig.
I fear for the future of Alaska as we know it though if this link was built. It might not remain the deserted, beautiful, wonder of creation people enjoy it for.
On an almost related note, one of the articles mentioned the Alaska Railroad considering for the past 60 years a link to Canada's rail system. I say YES, DO IT. I think they could make some money here if they marketed it right. "Enjoy the beauty of the Alcan in 1/2 the time while you relax and let us drive." Something like that.
billt9 says:
10:08 AM, 04/27/07
Sounds like the entire Asia is willing to fund this tunnel.
ateixeira says:
10:52 AM, 04/27/07
I don't think this tunnel would be used by a lot of car traffic. So don't think of driving to Asia. It would never be practical.
Do you drive to Brazil now? Nope.
It would be mostly rail and truck carrying trade items.
ethan8 says:
12:08 PM, 05/ 1/07
WOW, that's a lot of money we could use in the lower 48