MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait between Chukotka and Alaska may become one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in world history, since the region is distanced from major economic centers and due to the Far North's challenging conditions, Director of the Center for Arctic and Northern Urban Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics Nadezhda Zamyatina told TASS.
Earlier, Russia's Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev spoke about an agreement with an engineering company to design a tunnel between Russia and the United States. He hoped the design of the "Putin-Trump Tunnel" under the Bering Strait may be completed by the end of 2026 and said that even China could join this project.
"Building a tunnel in remote areas far from major economic centers and in the harsh conditions of the North, apparently, will be one of the most expensive projects in history," Nadezhda Zamyatina said, adding the tunnel across the Bering Strait is technically feasible and is only about 1.5 times longer than the Channel Tunnel. However, the main challenges lie in materials delivery and in creation of supporting infrastructures in Chukotka.
