Road Trip! Russia approves tunnel to Alaska under Bering Strait
08-26-11, 05:22 PM
#1
Road Trip! Russia approves tunnel to Alaska under Bering Strait
Road Trip! Russia approves tunnel to Alaska under Bering Strait
The Russian government has given the go-ahead on an ambitious new tunnel project that could connect Siberia with Alaska via an underground rail line. If completed, the $65 billion project will be the longest underwater tunnel in the world, besting the Chunnel between England and France by twice the distance. The planned course would stretch over 65 miles and would snake beneath the Big and Little Diomede Islands. According to Inhabitat, the project will be funded by a private and public partnership. So why build it?
Aside from being a civil engineering marvel, the tunnel would also provide an efficient way to move 100 million tons of freight per year. In addition, the tunnel could provide an easy transmission route for electricity developed by tidal energy stations and wind plants in Russia to Alaska and Canada. In addition, the rail system would complete a high-speed network that could stretch from London to New York City. Unfortunately, the project doesn't seem to be geared toward passenger travel. At least, not for now.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/26/r...bering-strait/
. I'd deifinaly take a high speed rail journey from Alaska to Russia! 
08-29-11, 07:53 PM
#7
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08-29-11, 08:18 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
I am still waiting for the New York to London bullet train. **** I am still waiting for the bullet trains in North America.
One thing, now Sarah Palin can be like I can just drive to Russia instead of saying she sees it from her backyard or some ****.
One thing, now Sarah Palin can be like I can just drive to Russia instead of saying she sees it from her backyard or some ****.
08-29-11, 08:44 PM
#9
Lexus Champion
Maybe you guys can do a swap -- Sarah Palin for a Russian mail-order bride or stowaway?
08-31-11, 02:14 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
I'm surprised that a project like this wasn't done many years ago, during World War II, when we were Lend-Lease supplying our Soviet Allies by the North-Atlantic convoy route over Scandanavia to Murmansk. We (and the British) lost a LOT of cargo-ships to German U-Boats and aircraft while supplying the Russians. An underground tunnel to the Russians, like this, would have helped enormously, especially after the Alaska Highway was completed during the war. (The Russians, of course, didn't turn against us until after WWII was over and the Cold War began).
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-31-11 at 02:21 PM.
09-02-11, 07:43 AM
#12
Out of Warranty
The elephant in the room isn't being addressed . . . why on earth would anyone want to travel from one godforsaken part of the planet to another? Alaska to SIBERIA? I can see chunnel train passengers huddled around a fire in Nome waiting for their Amtrak connection to New York . . . We have a solution for high-speed direct connections between Moscow and NYC . . . we call it an "airplane". Aeroflot will take you today from NYC to Moscow for $635 one way. In Soviet Russia we build big tunnel to compete with our puny airline.
At least the proponents of the project are being rational, considering it as a freight service - which is about the only way such a mega-expensive tunnel could be economically justified - but the payoff would be so far in the future as to be eclipsed by space elevators and teleportation. Then, why would we want to connect Russian, Canadian, and US arctic wind farms? Again, someone hasn't landed their balloon yet.
At least the proponents of the project are being rational, considering it as a freight service - which is about the only way such a mega-expensive tunnel could be economically justified - but the payoff would be so far in the future as to be eclipsed by space elevators and teleportation. Then, why would we want to connect Russian, Canadian, and US arctic wind farms? Again, someone hasn't landed their balloon yet.
09-02-11, 09:21 AM
#14
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lol teleportation? I think we are getting ahead of our selves.
having the tunnel built is just the beginning. by connecting the continents, we are setting the path for the future and making this planet smaller. Also once we get it built, the railway will connect to existing railways and then make it much more than just a pathway from siberia to alaska.
I want to know the environmental damage/report.
having the tunnel built is just the beginning. by connecting the continents, we are setting the path for the future and making this planet smaller. Also once we get it built, the railway will connect to existing railways and then make it much more than just a pathway from siberia to alaska.
I want to know the environmental damage/report.
09-02-11, 10:54 AM
#15
this actually is old news: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1680121.ece, but interesting nonetheless. wonder if they'll start soon