Why Russia and the USA need a transport tunnel through the Bering Strait

25

Coronavirus pandemic and general economic recession threaten the world with recession, massive bankruptcies and unemployment. In such a situation, large-scale infrastructure projects under the auspices of the state, giving orders, contracts and creating new jobs could be a good help.

It is possible that the time has come to return to the idea of ​​connecting Russia and the United States with a tunnel along the bottom of the Bering Strait. What can this project give to our country?



This idea is not new, it was first voiced in the distant 1890. Railway tycoons liked to connect Alaska and Eastern Siberia. We considered options with both a railway tunnel and a ferry, but for various reasons they were rejected at one time.

Already in 2012, the then head of Russian Railways, Yakunin, spoke out in favor of continuing the highway to Kamchatka and then joining the North American railways. A few years ago in Russia, an online petition for the construction of a tunnel through the Bering Strait gathered over 16 thousand votes. So what can our country get from the implementation of this project, and why is it constantly being put off the shelf?

At first glance, everything seems pretty simple. The Bering Strait itself is relatively shallow, from 30 to 50 meters. Approximately in the middle of it are two islands: Ratmanova and Kruzenshtern, between them lies the sea border between the Russian Federation and the USA, Asia and North America, and at the same time there is a date line. Using the islands, you can lay three sections of the underwater tunnel with a length of 40, 3,7 and 40 kilometers, respectively, between Chukotka and Alaska. Technically, this is no more difficult than connecting the UK and the continent through the English Channel.

In the case of implementation, this project promises a lot of "goodies." The accession of China and Southeast Asia to them will give them rail access to the US and Canada markets, and Russia will also be able to earn money on transit. According to preliminary estimates, up to 3% of world trade will go along the bottom of the Bering Strait. In parallel, it will be possible to lay telecommunication cables, pipelines, etc. along the tunnel. The underpopulated regions of the Far East and Alaska will receive an additional incentive to development. Two continents will be reliably connected, and it will be possible to drive a car from Lisbon to Miami.

The benefits are undeniable and great. But until now, the implementation of the project rested on a number of serious problems.

At first, the region belongs to the Far North with its harsh conditions, which will make construction very difficult and expensive. According to some estimates, the project could cost more than $ 100 billion.

Secondly, need investment in adjacent transport infrastructure. From the US side, it will be necessary to lay at least 900 kilometers of permafrost road to the nearest freeway. From the Russian side it’s even worse: from the highway to the possible entrance to the tunnel about 2 thousand kilometers, to the nearest railway from it more than 3 thousand kilometers. Plus, in Russia and the USA, there are different railway gauges.

Thirdly, in the conditions of the beginning economic recession, the railway will have to compete with maritime transport for a decrease in freight traffic.

Nevertheless, what is happening in the world is more and more like the beginning of a new “great depression”. The implementation of such a large-scale infrastructure project on the basis of international cooperation could support the economy and the real sector of the states participating in it.
25 comments
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  1. Afinogen
    Afinogen
    +1
    April 17 2020 11: 50
    Science Fiction Utopians Awake laughing
    1. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      0
      April 17 2020 12: 14
      I think the same was said about the English Channel.
      1. Afinogen
        Afinogen
        +1
        April 17 2020 18: 12
        It is impossible to compare even here. Have you ever been to Chukotka? Martian landscape. Some mountains and stones, no trees, roads too. People there are rapidly dwindling, many villages are abandoned, which are still half-empty, the only joy of life for the local population is "water of fire". It's easier to build a city on the moon than to build a railway there. Here "BAM" was built, the whole country took part - both the military and the Komsomol detachments, and how much time and money was spent. And then they argue now, but whether he was needed. And to build a road to Chukotka is like two "Bam" and on very rough terrain, where there will be basically only tunnels. Utopia is complete.
        1. Oyo Sarkazmi
          Oyo Sarkazmi
          -1
          April 18 2020 09: 21
          Quote: Athenogen
          And then they argue now, but whether he was needed. And pave the road to Chukotka.

          So they put it. "North Expressway" is called. No noise and trolls. They will reach Norilsk, and then we will see.
          In Chukotka - huge reserves of tin, there is gas. All Soviet power was not concerned with Chukotka, Abramovich came and made wells around Anadyr - and life with its gas in this city became several times cheaper.
          And drunkenness goes away. Now the "Chukchi" have something to spend their income on - motor boats, snowmobiles, telephones. One deer is worth 85 thousand.
          1. Afinogen
            Afinogen
            +2
            April 18 2020 10: 34
            It’s clear to Norilsk, there the tundra is flat, everything is simple, throw the rails do not be lazy. But Chukotka is a completely different matter, the area there is continuous mountains and gorges, many rivers and lakes. There are no roads, therefore, they drive mainly on all-terrain vehicles. The fact that Chukotka is the richest region, no one argues. There is one gold more than on Magadan, not to mention other minerals.
  2. steelmaker
    steelmaker
    +2
    April 17 2020 12: 38
    They also said so about the Far East. They opened the borders to China and waited for investments. And they don't say something or show how the region is flourishing! And all of China's investments were in the export of raw materials! Because the policy of Putin and the government is to sell the Motherland. Everything that is for sale must be SOLD! Weapons, foodstuffs, the latest technologies, leasing territory to foreigners for decades, and all this is presented as a boon for the regions and people. Only from such a policy, for some reason only Moscow flourishes !? Therefore, I am against such a project. Let at least one "promise" of power come true first !!!
    1. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      +1
      April 17 2020 14: 49
      If you really discuss such a project, then the benefit for Russia could be, IMHO, as a transit country from Southeast to North. America Plus, the development of the infrastructure of the Far East and the loading of enterprises with orders in a crisis.
    2. gorenina91
      gorenina91
      -5
      April 17 2020 15: 19
      About the Far East, too, they said so. We opened the borders to China, waiting for investment. And they don’t say something or show how the region is flourishing! And all of China’s investments were in the export of raw materials! Because the policy of Putin and the government is to sell the homeland. All that is for sale must be SOLD! Weapons, food, technology are the latest.

      - Yes, that's right ...- You are one of the very few who really assess the situation ... and draw objective conclusions ...
      - As for China, its entire policy is built precisely on pushing others out of the economy, from the sphere of influence, from the territorial space ... - The tactics of a cuckoo that pushes out legal inhabitants from someone else's nest ... - Over the entire period of "China's prosperity" - not a single state that has cooperated with China has become rich and did not get what it hoped for by entering into a deal with China ... - everyone remained at a broken trough ... - Well ... - Russia in the first place ...
  3. Igor Pavlovich
    Igor Pavlovich
    0
    April 17 2020 12: 39
    Alaska railway has a profit of $ 5 million / year - this is how many years of recoupment from $ 100 billion ??? Sorry - millennia !!! There is nothing to say about Russia - well, even though Yakunin was removed.
    1. King3214
      King3214
      +4
      April 17 2020 13: 03
      The fact that Alaska is now a railway dead end does not bother you? And you extrapolate this "dead-end" profit to the tunnel through which 3% of world trade will go?
      Fiercely!
      1. Igor Pavlovich
        Igor Pavlovich
        -4
        April 17 2020 13: 14
        I agree with the remark - I missed about 3% of world trade - which means we will only consider centuries of payback. bully
        1. Marzhecki
          Marzhecki
          -1
          April 21 2020 18: 43
          And what percentage of world GDP do we have? The same 3%.
    2. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      -1
      April 17 2020 13: 44
      Do you consider potential transit from Southeast Asia to the USA? What is the matter with you all? ..
  4. Eduard Aplombov
    Eduard Aplombov
    -1
    April 17 2020 12: 45
    The author is clearly in a creative search. Themes are becoming more global and monstrous, the Yankees laurels, the conquerors of the moon do not give peace. And of course you need a tunnel, at least for furs, horns and hooves of local Aborigines, to push for currency.
    1. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      -1
      April 17 2020 13: 42
      "Aplombov" suits you very well. laughing
      1. Eduard Aplombov
        Eduard Aplombov
        0
        April 17 2020 13: 53
        Saw, Shura, saw ...
  5. King3214
    King3214
    +1
    April 17 2020 13: 01
    Russia can build a bridge / tunnel to Sakhalin to support the economy. To start.
    And then already with the USA, together, it is possible to use the Berengov Strait.
    It’s good when a country has the opportunity and funds for gigantic projects. During a crisis - that’s it!
    1. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      +2
      April 17 2020 14: 47
      Incidentally, large projects that give work to hundreds of related enterprises in a crisis are without irony. The only question is the adequacy of the organization of the process and the division of funding into all interested parties.
  6. tchernickovpit
    tchernickovpit
    0
    April 17 2020 19: 26
    logoglas
    Specialists have long offered the Government of the Russian Federation their options for building this transport crossing, but they did not meet with interest. What the author writes is perfectly true, but this is only the tip of the iceberg in the list of difficulties. I propose to announce a nationwide competition for construction projects. Then the appointed commission will choose the most suitable and most important Viable option. Just do not drag it - life is short and you just can not live to see the real solution to this proposal.
  7. monman
    monman
    -1
    April 17 2020 19: 42
    Sergey, have you heard enough of Putin about his super projects? Fascinated?

    In parallel, it will be possible to lay telecommunication cables, pipelines, etc. along the tunnel. The underpopulated regions of the Far East and Alaska will receive an additional incentive to development.

    What the hell is an additional incentive for development? What is there to develop? What is there that you need a railroad? Who needs telecomm cables from the USA to Russia? You already know that you will block the Internet Mask, and then there’s a cable with “their info” (your info doesn’t care for us).
    There's a gorgeous bridge built in Vladivostok on Russky Island, so what? 2 cars a day? Payback over how many centuries?
  8. tchernickovpit
    tchernickovpit
    +2
    April 18 2020 10: 49
    loboglas
    There is a design that allows you to really organize a transport passage through the Bering Strait, but it must first be run in at the construction of such a transition from the Mainland to Sakhalin Island.
  9. Radical
    Radical
    +3
    April 18 2020 19: 09
    So what can our country get from the implementation of this project ...?

    "Creeping" expansion, followed by "soft" or hard rejection of part of our territory. sad
  10. Radical
    Radical
    0
    April 18 2020 19: 10
    Quote: tchernickovpit
    loboglas
    There is a design that allows you to really organize a transport passage through the Bering Strait, but it must first be run in at the construction of such a transition from the Mainland to Sakhalin Island.

    And only by building a tunnel. sad
  11. Serge Tixiy
    Serge Tixiy
    +2
    April 19 2020 08: 14
    But what for is it needed - a tunnel? The trade turnover between the USA and Russia, even in the best years, left much to be desired. It is very expensive to create a structure, a structure that is for development, for construction, and for content. As a result, depend on the USA? !! Sorry, author, but you're not sick?
    1. Marzhecki
      Marzhecki
      -1
      April 21 2020 18: 42
      Do you even read what is written? It says about the trade of Southeast Asia with the United States through Russian transit, where you can earn money.