Presently the longest undersea car tunnel Aqualine Expressway, is in Japan which was opened in December 1997. The 15.1 km long (9.5 km undersea) tunnel at a depth of 60 metres, runs under Tokyo Bay and connects Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, with Kisarazu east of the capital. The tunnel saves a distance of 50 miles of journey between the cities.
Now the world’s longest (26 to 29 km long, length of undersea part is to be finalised) undersea car tunnel is being planned to connect Oyster Bay and Rye on the New York mainland.
- The tunnel would ease out traffic congestion to travellers going between Long Island and New England to avoid crowded New York City highways.
- The tunnel at an estimated cost of US$10 billion would be taken up by a developer without draining tax payers money.
- The expected completion is not before 2025.
- The tunnel would consist of two tubes carrying three lanes of traffic each, plus a central tunnel to be used for maintenance.
Here is the map showing Oyster Bay and Rye
Some photographs of Aqualine Expressway, undersea tunnel in Japan
Image Source:pref.chiba
Image source:southeastroads
Image Source:mof
News Source:canadianpress
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I actually grew up 2 towns south of Rye NY. This project (in various forms) has been discussed since I was wearing diapers but due to the wealthy home owners in the to towns it has never come to pass. Hopefully times have changed but don’t put any money on the table with this one.
John,
Many projects fail to take off though many years are spent in planning. The reasons are:insufficient finance, lack of political will, legal issues, lack of public support. Thanks for your comments and expecting more from you.
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