Bering Strait bridge construction started???? (Cordova: housing, commuters, building)

[awoods2]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

Okay, maybe I'm just a few sandwiches short of a picnic here, but can someone please explain to me why we need to build a tunnel under the Behring Strait? This strikes me as a "because we can" sort of venture...
We can call it the "Tunnel to Nowhere".

I saw an article about this a few years ago. The idea is a railroad (and pipeline, and road) conection to Russia and across Russia into the EU. With other other conections we could have rail line from the south tip of South America to the south tip of Africa.

Is it a good idea or is it ever going to happen, I don't know, this is just what I read. BTW the article was in Popular Science, I belive.

Adam

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by awoods2

I saw an article about this a few years ago. The idea is a railroad (and pipeline, and road) conection to Russia and across Russia into the EU. With other other conections we could have rail line from the south tip of South America to the south tip of Africa.

Is it a good idea or is it ever going to happen, I don't know, this is just what I read. BTW the article was in Popular Science, I belive.

Adam

Yep. The idea was to build a railroad from St. George, BC, west to Nome, AK, and then under the Bering Strait. One of the problems is that Russia (and Siberia) use a different railroad gauge than Europe and the US. So you would have to switch trains in Siberia.

An interesting side note: The European and US railroad gauge (the width between rails) of 4 feet 8.5 inches originated from the width of Roman war chariots established by Julius Caesar. There is, of course, a lot more to the history of how the railroad gauge was established, but it can be traced back more than 2,000 years.

[Xa'at]

How neat would that be to be able to drive to Paris? Unfortunately, with gas prices the way they are it would still be far cheaper to just take the plane.
If you had a lot of money, though, imagine the things you could see!

[motormaker]

An interesting side note: The European and US railroad gauge (the width between rails) of 4 feet 8.5 inches originated from the width of Roman war chariots established by Julius Caesar. There is, of course, a lot more to the history of how the railroad gauge was established, but it can be traced back more than 2,000 years. [/quote]

Not exactly true, but a good story. See what Snopes has to say on the subject.

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp

[Glitch]

I really couldn't care less if they build the Bering Strait tunnel or not, just adding a railroad that goes from Canada all the way to Nome would open up a great deal of western Alaska that is currently very difficult to access except by barge or plane.

[Marty Van Diest]

I hear the Russians are almost done with the tunnel, but they're not going to tell us about it until after they bust out with their tanks etc..somewhere East of Nome.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

I hear the Russians are almost done with the tunnel, but they're not going to tell us about it until after they bust out with their tanks etc..somewhere East of Nome.

This would make a great setting for a re-make of the 1962 comic movie "The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming" which starred Alan Arkin and a cast of dozens of others.

[JavaPhil]

Jonathon Winters comes to mind.

[aquariusmom]

I thought for sure this was going to involve the old "I have a bridge to sell you" punchline...

As far as 50 mile length... difficult but I bet it's do-able. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel was built in the 60s and it is nearly 20 miles! I think the elements would be the obstacle, and one that won't be fixed until the plates shift enough to move Alaska several latitudes south.

[Rance]

As many earthquakes we have a day...I ain't getting in that thing!