Posted on 07/12/2010 11:06:07 AM PDT by Willie Green
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt plans to build a $1 billion tunnel under the Suez Canal at Port Said and will begin seeking finance as soon as the designs are completed, Al-Akhbar newspaper on Monday quoted the investment minister as saying.
The tunnel, to be built 19 km (12 miles) south of the Canal's northern entrance, will have 3 passageways, one for rail and two for cars, the newspaper quoted Mahmoud Mohieldin as telling a conference in Dahab in the eastern Sinai Peninsula.
The conference was called to discuss investment in the cities along the canal and in the Sinai, which the government is keen to develop following a number of clashes between security forces and impoverished Bedouin tribes.
(Excerpt) Read more at af.reuters.com ...
They could get the Palestinian tunnelers to do it for free if they let them bring in guns through it.
I predict it will be blown up regularly.
Egypt should contract with the Palis. They have lots of experience and will probably do it for free.
Aahhh! Beat me by :37.
How much will US taxpayer money will be used?
What? No moving sidewalk? No pedestrian suicide bombers allowed? That’s discrimination.
I predict it will be an engineering marvel. The Suez Canal is one of the most vital transportation links in the world (which is why the U.S. insisted that Israel had to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt as a condition of the 1976 peace accords), which means a lot of people other than Egyptians have a vested interest in this being done well.
Is it cheeper to build a bridge or dig a tunnel ?
I am serious. Why not build a bridge ? I am just guessing it would be less expensive to build.
A bridge would have to be higher than the Golden Gate to allow carriers to pass through...which they regularly do...
It sounds like this would be a pretty run-of-the-mill project.
For instance, it would be nothing like the difficulty of The Chunnel.
I believe there is a bridge already.
Magnum44 is right. The bridge would have to be very high. Another consideration here is that the terrain may not be conducive to building a high bridge. If my understanding of that region is accurate, then the area around the canal is very flat and doesn’t have the kind of higher elevations (mountains, bluffs, cliffs, etc.) to provide a natural “starting height” for the bridge abutments. The bridge would have to be as high as the Golden Gate Bridge, but with road and rail approaches that begin on either end from at or near sea level.
Being built with some of zero’s “stimuless” money, perhaps??
God knows we aren’t seeing any benefit of it here.
But you're right -- a $1 billion tunnel is a big project, but it's not a massive undertaking in 2010.
Wait until October 2010 and October 2012 you will see a bunch of it being spent. Buying votes for the Democrats.
I wont say your incorrect...I went through the canal 6 times in 90’ and 91’ and I dont recall seeing one. It would have to be a really large draw or swivel bridge...i suppose you could google to see if one actually exists today.
I too am wondering what the geology that area would be. If it is pretty much bedrock under the sand, it would be a pretty easy shot.
And THAT would be hard to blow up.
But, one has to wonder if there would be a lane for tanks as well.
Not for nuthin’, but crossing the canal is one of the hindrances that has kept Israel from completely kicking there ass in three days instead of seven.
I understand the height requirement. However, rock and sand are cheap over there in the desert.
What is the height of the tallest supertankers/aircraft carriers/Sovergn of the Seas(150’off the water) ?
I would still think it is less expensive to build a bridge.
Maybe the soil type is not able to support the structures to build the bridge abutments.
My thoughts exactly.
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