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In terms of sere size, I doubt the Panama Canal compares. Panama Canal is actually connecting a few lakes and rivers already there together along with some manmade channels, and locks to lift the ships. But those channels, and locks not that long. They may be wide, and relatively deep, but very short.
The Hoover dam is huge but its all in one area.
1) The term 'most expansive' is yours. Gatun Lake is artificial, or manufactured - and it's rather expansive (164 square miles).
2) Much of the channeling through both manmade lakes (such as Gatun) and rives was (and continually is) necessarily dredged in order to allow passaged of the deep drafts of the ocean-going ships. The removal of 270,000,000+ cubic yards of Earth was hardly limited to the canal parts and the locks.
3) It took 10 years to build, much less than the Interstate system. You mentioned 'fastest' as well.
If you consider focusing on fastest built how about the Manhattan project to develop the atomic bomb. With several facilities across the country construction started in 1942 and was fully operational by 1945.
I agree with this. I used to work at Hanford in Washington. When you see those old plants, and the equipment and piping within them, you will be impressed by their complexity and scale.
The Panama canal is impressive, and 5600+ people died building it in 10 years.....but the Suez canal is bigger, longer and deeper....and was built even before then.
The interstate systems is huge, but for big and fast....have you seen China's new high speed rail network? They bought the first little run from Siemens and....were inspired from there.... to go on an built a massive high speed rail network throughout the country. By comparison, the BART expanded about 10 miles and two stops on existing track line here and the State utterly failed in its own SF to LA high speed line.
I'm not a fan of the commies, but that centralized planning sure can marshal together the unity and resources rather quickly.
I vote for the large and important, but not permanent, construction during WWII.
The construction of Allied airstrips on the battlefield following the Normandy invasion has to rank as of the greatest achievements. Grasslands and farmland were converted to landing strips within 24 hours. https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/bat.../alg/airstrips
In addition, there are numerous stories of Army engineers constructing bridges and roads very quickly and under fire. The Wesel Railway Bridge was constructed in 10 days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/371st_...tion_Battalion
Or the great American movement of housing away from the cities into the suburbs to accommodate newly returned WWII veterans and their families. Thousands of middle class communities created in the late 40’s and 50’s.
And not only housing construction but the creation of shopping malls to service the suburbs as opposed to the old concept of inner city shops and markets. Not to mention the expansion of local highway systems to connect the suburbs with city jobs.
The basic grid of the I was completed from 1958 in about 30 years, connecting virtually eveery major city pail. Everything since would have been built anyway, it was juat signposted as I.
But in the 30 years before that, say 1925-55. neary every town had a paved link and the entire US highway system was paved, with an improved roadbed. I would say the pre-interstate hard-surfacing was a bigger project.
The Panama canal is impressive, and 5600+ people died building it in 10 years.....but the Suez canal is bigger, longer and deeper....and was built even before then.
The interstate systems is huge, but for big and fast....have you seen China's new high speed rail network? They bought the first little run from Siemens and....were inspired from there.... to go on an built a massive high speed rail network throughout the country. By comparison, the BART expanded about 10 miles and two stops on existing track line here and the State utterly failed in its own SF to LA high speed line.
I'm not a fan of the commies, but that centralized planning sure can marshal together the unity and resources rather quickly.
Just a comment about the Suez Canal. I don't think its construction was as impressive as that of the Panama Canal. The Suez Canal was basically just about digging. A lot of dirt had to be moved. However the terrain was relatively flat and most of what had to be moved was just sand. The Suez Canal did not need locks built. Building a sea level canal in Panama was impossible and it became necessary to build a series of locks to raise and lower ships.
On the other hand, the Panama Canal was built through some of the most unhospitable terrain in the world. Huge cuts had to be excavated through mountains. Jungle was everywhere. The workers building the Panama Canal did not have to contend with a disease like yellow fever which was often fatal and spread voraciously by mosquitoes everywhere in Panama. I suspect malaria may have been an issue building the Suez Canal, but if so it was nowhere near the issue it was in Panama. The same man who was in charge of building the Suez Canal tried to build the Panama Canal--and failed.
When was the last major part of it finished? I am pretty sure it was well before 1990 so cant be 65 years and counting. Future maintenance does not count either because all construction requires that.
The last 'major portion' of the originally planned system was the stretch of I-70 going thru Glenwood Canyon which was opened on October 14, 1992.
The Panama canal is impressive, and 5600+ people died building it in 10 years.....but the Suez canal is bigger, longer and deeper....and was built even before then.
The interstate systems is huge, but for big and fast....have you seen China's new high speed rail network? They bought the first little run from Siemens and....were inspired from there.... to go on an built a massive high speed rail network throughout the country. By comparison, the BART expanded about 10 miles and two stops on existing track line here and the State utterly failed in its own SF to LA high speed line.
I'm not a fan of the commies, but that centralized planning sure can marshal together the unity and resources rather quickly.
Centralized Planning, buying demo systems then stealing the technology and duplicating it without paying royalties or licensing and not having to worry about opposition to the plans does allow huge projects to be completed.
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