MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. If completed, the construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait between Chukotka and Alaska could become one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in world history due to the region's remoteness from major economic centers and the extreme conditions of the Far North, Nadezhda Zamyatina, Director of the Center for Arctic and Northern Urbanism at the Higher School of Economics, told TASS.
"Constructing a tunnel in the remoteness of the main economic centers and the harsh conditions of the North would obviously be one of the most expensive projects in history," she said.
According to Zamyatina, the tunnel itself through the Bering Strait is technically feasible and is only approximately 1.5 times longer than the Channel Tunnel. However, the main challenges relate to the delivery of materials and the creation of the accompanying infrastructure in Chukotka.
The expert added that food and fuel are delivered to the region as part of the northern supply, while transporting large volumes of metal structures and concrete for construction will require complex logistical solutions. She also noted the need to build transport approaches to the tunnel in Chukotka.
"Not only its construction but also its operation will be several times more expensive than in developed areas. Even more expensive than the Baikal-Amur Mainline," Zamyatina believes.
