AfricaBlog: Chunnel to Africa? Archives

January 13, 2004

Chunnel to Africa?

This is a bit surprising to me (but then, so was the laser cheese slicer).

Construction of a tunnel linking Europe and Africa could begin within five years after Spain and Morocco agreed to a major engineering study of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The tunnel could be dug between Punta Paloma in southern Spain and Punta Malabata near Tangier in Morocco. It would run for 38.5km and would pass beneath the strait for 27km at a depth of about 300m.

This tunnel would be a little over 10km shorter than the channel tunnel between France and Britain, but would still be an amazing undertaking. I'd love to read the feasibility study and the benefit analysis. Regardless of the cost or the need, the geek inside hopes that they build it just for the sheer impressiveness of the thing.

Read the story.

Posted by zombyboy at January 13, 2004 10:20 AM

Comments

Chunnel from the continent to England, channel from the continent to Morocco. I use the former regularly to London and back, someone else will use the latter regularly to Rabat and back.

Am I missing something?

Posted by: Rethabile Masilo at January 14, 2004 07:44 AM

No, you aren't missing something. I just have a hard time imagining that the traffic level will be high enough to support it--but that's why I'd like to see all the paperwork in the thing.

Then I'd like to see it built.

Posted by: zombyboy at January 14, 2004 10:26 AM

Zombyboy,

I think you're right that if it ever happens, it'll be hard and costly. But the conditions are different, and this time around there will be the added benefit of using the mistakes of the first endeavour to better conduct the second endeavour (what I call postparing).

France and England couldn't do that. Maybe, just maybe the different conditions and the ability to postpare would allow Spain and Morocco--Spain? No, Europe--Europe and Morocco to succeed.

Posted by: Rethabile Masilo at January 14, 2004 12:14 PM