A tunnel connecting Russia and Alaska (travel, illegal, service)

[Sonrise]

Found this on ssc, pretty cool:


Has Billionaire Chelsea boss Abramovich bought the biggest drill on earth to dig a tunnel between Russia and America? - SkyscraperCity

[recycled]

It would be the tunnel from nowhere to nowhere. There are no roads anywhere near either of the tunnel approaches. Over 500 miles to the nearest highway on the Alaska side, and several thousand miles to a decent highway in eastern Siberia. Why would anybody want to send individual trucks over such a long route at today's diesel fuel costs? This is why we have ocean going container ships that can haul 8000 containers per ship for a fraction of what it would cost using any other shipping method.

[Arcticthaw]

So..... what if you put a pipeline in that tunnel from the far east oil fields, then connected it to a gas line from Alaska to the lower 48. Now Russia could supply gas to the entire western world.

Just a thought.

[FOAD]

First, the "Gussaks" will swarm from the tunnel and overrun the local yup'iks.

Then that durn Dakotey plowboy will plow up the entire Mat-Su.

You guys can snowshoe, but you can't hide!

[car957]

And how will ICE control the illegals? Great, another path for illegal immigrants.

[macmeal]

I find the idea exciting, if only for personal reasons. True, it's a long way from anywhere now, but who knows what the future may hold.? Actually, my money would go more toward a high-volume, high tech railroad, rather than a highway for individual vehicles. Freight rail is a BOOMING business, one not normally noticed by the public. But the sheer fuel efficiency of "steel wheel against steel rail" has never even been CLOSE to being beaten, in the sector of high-volume, heavy freight, carried over long distances on land. Water transportation is cheaper (per ton mile), but on land, rail is still 'king'. And rail is STILL undergoing all sorts of modernization and innovations (and so is 'tunneling'). Railroad tunnels are quite 'cheap' compared to highway tunnels, don't require lighting, and can be built with almost NO clearances. And a mile-long train (or more) requires only two (or even ONE) operators aboard-- (or NONE AT ALL, with a just little instrumentation).

By the way, most people probably aren't aware that, way back 'when" (the year escapes me), a SERIOUS attempt was made to connect North America to Europe via the Bering Strait and Siberia, with a telegraph line...including many 'repeaters' and 'booster stations' en route. And there would be a branch line to Peking. SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES were actually completed, and some BIG money went into it. Advance survey crews from the American side got as far as the N. Coast of the Sea of Okhotsk (sp?) north of Kamchatka, and I BELIEVE poles and wire had already been installed well up through British Columbia.

Very SUDDENLY, the whole thing went 'bust', as the trans-Atlantic cable was put into service, thus 'proving' that vast distances could be connected telegraphically underwater. This was MUCH cheaper, of course, (and opened up the 'line' to Europe, via the 'back way')...and the need for a long-distance land line was bypassed, and the line was mostly just abandoned and left to the elements.

TRUE story, one very little known, but MIGHT such an 'adventure' ever be re-opened, in the form of land travel? Remember, up to WWII, there was no LAND travel to Alaska..yet the Alaska Highway was built (in wartime) in less than a YEAR.

Fascinating thread...thanks, OP !!

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by car957

And how will ICE control the illegals? Great, another path for illegal immigrants.

Pretty easy to 'choke off' this type of traffic in a harsh, arctic environment, including a miles-long tunnel. Tunnels can easily be made IMPASSABLE to any unwanted 'travelers". If memory serves, I BELIEVE the English Channel tunnel includes TWO 'electrically-charged' barrier plates, just to keep out wandering animals. This was done at the insistence of the British public, who had a GREAT fear of rabies, which, as I recall, existed in Europe, but was unknown in Britain. I doubt if the device has ever needed to be 'proven', though...mostly just a "PR" move, I'd guess.

[Barkingowl]

Sounds like a stupid idea to me.

[Arcticthaw]

Originally Posted by macmeal

Pretty easy to 'choke off' this type of traffic in a harsh, arctic environment, including a miles-long tunnel. Tunnels can easily be made IMPASSABLE to any unwanted 'travelers". If memory serves, I BELIEVE the English Channel tunnel includes TWO 'electrically-charged' barrier plates, just to keep out wandering animals. This was done at the insistence of the British public, who had a GREAT fear of rabies, which, as I recall, existed in Europe, but was unknown in Britain. I doubt if the device has ever needed to be 'proven', though...mostly just a "PR" move, I'd guess.

hmmmm..... Chunnel rats?

[Rance]

One good earthquake and it's toast. This is just a pipedream. Why build a tunnel when you can walk across the ice in the winter? Duh...