By Ashley Karen
As reported, Japan is pondering building a 31km tunnel that would cost approximately US$7 billion.
The Tsugaru Strait Tunnel Project would be a tunnel network linking the mainland of Japan to the northern region of Hokkaido — this would become the second tunnel linking the areas.
The project will have gained acceleration after years of being regarded as an ‘unfeasible project’, but programs propose that it will complete the current rail-only tunnel, Seikan.
Objectives for the project have been there for more than a decade, with the initial plan being to make a two-deck construction. The top level would be the road for self-driving vehicles, while the bottom level will be reserved for freight trains.
Kazuyoshi Akaba, the Transport Minister of Japan, has confirmed that they are yet waiting for the project’s confirmation to go ahead.
Labor shortages and budget limitations have recently slowed Japanese infrastructure projects, and those behind the tunnel project are eager to prevent systematic problems from the Seikan tunnel construction.
Supporters of the project express that it will create economic benefits and decrease transport costs while facilitating the movement of people and goods as well.
Hokkaido is the only remaining ‘big’ island in Japan that is not connected to the Honshu via a bridge. As a result, cars and trucks cannot pass through, and only bullet and freight trains can.
