Science News Channel, Daily Galaxy, provided an interesting update to the ongoing story of the proposed tunnel under the Straits of Gibraltar. Apparently this August, the governments of Morocco and Spain finally signed off on the project, which has been discussed since the 1980s, driven now in part by the 2030 FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal & Morocco, even though there is no way the tunnel will be ready by then.
In numbers, the tunnel will stretch some 42 kms, including 28 kms submerged, from the coast near Tarifa to Morocco’s Tanger-Med port. The deepest point will be 475 meters below sea level.
What I find most fascinating in this story is the beneficial economic impact the tunnel could have on Andalucia. It is “more than a feat of engineering”, says the article, as “the tunnel is being framed as a new economic artery between continents (that could)…. reduce freight times, ease migration logistics, and provide a climate-friendlier alternative to ferries and cargo planes……And for Spain, the tunnel could balance rising regional competition, enhance Andalusia’s logistical role, and bolster the country’s relevance in Euro-African affairs.”
Read the article here.
Picture: Morocco’s north coast, as seen across the Straits of Gibraltar