Trans Global Highway

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See also: Cosmopolitan Railway

The Trans Global Highway, also known as the Cosmopolitan Highway, is a proposed highway system which would link the continents of Earth, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica, through a network of new and existing bridges and tunnels. It was proposed by Frank X. Didik.^[1]

The highway would allow rapid transport of raw materials and finished goods around the globe. In addition, it would offer a possible conduit for gas, oil and water pipelines, as well as communication and electric power cables.^[1]

1 History
2 Major Components
3 Opposition
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The first idea to connect the continents by land was the Cosmopolitan Railway, proposed in 1890 by William Gilpin. Significant land transportation crossings, such as the Channel Tunnel, have been constructed since that era. However, the advent of international air travel has made many intercontinental land connections unnecessary.

[edit] Major Components

[edit] Bering Strait Tunnel

Main article: Bering Strait bridge

One of the major components of the proposal is to span the Bering Sea with the Intercontinental Peace Bridge or AmerAsian Peace Tunnel.

It is proposed that the tunnel start on the United States side, from the town of Cape Prince of Wales, which has a population of 156 and about 80 buildings, including a large school, streets and general store, and end at the Russian settlement of Naukan or 2 km north at the Dezhnev settlement. The Bering Strait Tunnel would consist of 3 tunnels connecting Alaska and Russia by going through two islands (the Little Diomede(USA) and Big Diomede (Russia)). The longest single tunnel would be 24 miles (40 km). Since the Bering Sea at the proposed crossing has a maximum known depth of only 170 feet (50 m), it is proposed that the tunnel be dug using conventional, modern tunnel boring machines, of the type that was employed in the construction of the Chunnel. The three tunnel proposal would be much preferred over a bridge for a variety of reasons including that fact that during the winter months, the Bering Strait is iced over and a bridge would be subject to severe environmental conditions. Further, in most cases, tunnels are less expensive to construct and maintain. Suspended under water tunnels are not suggested for this crossing, because of the shallow depth of the Bering Strait

It should be noted that presently, many tunnels around the world are as long as the longest tunnel needed to complete the Trans-Global Highway. The "Chunnel" linking England with Europe is approximately 31.34 miles (50.45km) long, the ocean tunnel Seikan linking Hokkaidō with Honshū in Japan is 33.46 miles (55.86km) long, while the new Swiss Gotthard Base Tunnel through the Alps, currently under construction, will be 35.7 miles (59.60km) long. There are in fact, 5 tunnels over 30 miles in length, in existence today.^[1]

[edit] Hokkaidō Sakhalin Asia Tunnel

Japan could technically be connected with mainland Asia via five tunnels, called the "Korea Japan Friendship Tunnel System," extending from the city of Fukuoka on Kyūshū, Japan, to the port city of Pusan in Korea via four islands. The maximum ocean depth in this area is 480 feet.

It could also be possible to connect Japan to mainland Asia by constructing two tunnels extending north from Hokkaidō to Sakhalin Island (the Sakhalin Hokkaidō Long Tunnel), which would be 25 miles (42km) long and a second tunnel from Sakhalin to the Siberian Russian mainland (the Sakhalin Asia Short Tunnel), which would only be 4.2 miles (7km) long. Recent estimates are that as much as 20 million tons of goods, manufactured in Japan could be shipped overland via the Russian railroad system, bypassing the current costly shipping costs, that include transit through the Suez Canal. There is a major financial incentive to build the Hokkaidō Sakhalin Asia tunnel. The Sakhalin Island region is very wealthy, being one of the major oil producing regions of the world.^[1]

[edit] Gibraltar Tunnel

Main article: Gibraltar Tunnel

The Gibraltar Tunnel, or "EurAfrican Friendship Tunnel," would be a rail tunnel that will link Africa and Europe. Due to the depth of the Strait of Gibraltar (300-900 meters / 900-2700 feet), it would be a great challenge to remove automobile exhaust from this depth, and a bridge is currently unfeasible, at roughly 9 miles in length. Any tunnel would most likely be an electrified rail tunnel, similar to the Channel Tunnel linking England and France, carrying automobiles on flat cars.

[edit] Australia-Papua New Guinea Tunnel and Connections to Indonesia

Whilst a tunnel/bridge between the islands of Australia and Papua New Guinea is currently infeasible, it is something that could be possible in the future, after the development of technology. Cape York in northern Queensland is 140 km away from New Guinea. Whilst this is admittedly a very long distance in relation to existing tunnels or bridges, the span of a single tunnel could be shortened by a few islands lying in the Torres Strait. Following the construction of a highway from Papua New Guinea into Indonesian New Guinea is where the proposed system of tunnels and bridges becomes much less likely. The technology available today is not able to have bridges or tunnels stretch the vast distances required to connect New Guinea with Malaysia. The most probable route would be via the Indonesian islands of Kepulauan Aru, Kepulauan Kai, Kepulauan Tanimbar, Babar and ultimately to Timor. After travelling to the Indonesian Alor via Timor Leste, it would be much easier to stretch over various islands and eventually to Flores, then Sumbawa, Lombok, and Bali. From Bali a bridge could be constructed stretching to the main Indonesian island of Java, and from here to Sumatra. Then a bridge/tunnel could be built connecting Sumatra to Malaysia, perhaps via Singapore but this does not have to be the case.

[edit] Philippines and Indonesia

The Philippines could also theoretically be bridged to the mainland of Asia, via smaller islands lying between Luzon, Samar, Leyte, Mindanao, and through the Sulu Archipelago to Borneo. From here, a bridge or tunnel could be constructed that would link Borneo to Sulawesi and Java, and ultimately, Singapore and the mainland of Asia.

[edit] Red Sea

There have also been ideas floated about of a potential bridge spanning the Red Sea, particularly at the Bab-el-Mandeb.^[2]. It would span from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, across the strait, to Perim Island, and then to Yemen, for a total distance of around 3.1 miles.

[edit] Irish Sea

There have also been ideas of a tunnel under the Irish Sea linking Ireland to England, giving Ireland a fixed link to the Great Britain, and to Continental Europe. The Dublin, Ireland-London, England air route is among the busiest in Europe, and the world, with more than 8,300,000 passengers per year. As well, the Irish Sea is also serviced by the world's largest car ferry, the Irish Continental Ferry M/F Ulysses. Any tunnel would most likely be a rail tunnel (similar to the Channel Tunnel, with automobiles and trucks/lorries being loaded onto the trains), and would probably be dual-gauge, as England and Continental Europe use standard gauge (1435 mm/ 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches), while Ireland uses a broad gauge of 1600 mm / 5 feet, 3 inches).

Talks have also been on and off of a potential bridge, particularly since the completion of the 15-km (9-mile) Oresund Bridge between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. The shortest feasible route for a bridge would be from Dublin to Holyhead, Wales or Rosslare, Ireland and Fishguard, Wales.

[edit] Opposition

As with almost all major public works projects, such as the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the European Channel Tunnel, the Alaska Pipeline and others, many people argue that the tunnels, bridges and roads are not necessary. Some present counter arguments stating that existing air and sea transport is adequate. Many bordering countries are presently at odds with one another, and may not be willing to allow a free moving highway to run through their territories, even with the potential of vast economic benefits.

According to Didik, the AmerAsian Peace Tunnel across the Bering Strait, a careful engineering study should be made to determine, what, if any effect, plate tectonics might have upon the proposed tunnels.^[1]