When you hear the term “in an ever connecting world”, you may automatically think of the internet, your phone, or social media. And it makes sense, whenever this term is uttered, it’s usually in relation to these things but to truly connect the world, we need to make it easier for people to travel between 2 points. We’ve come a long way from the first ship, first train, or first plane.
In this post, we will be looking at the biggest and most expensive transportation infrastructure projects that are currently under construction from each continent.
6. Central & South America: The Panama Metro Line 3 at an estimated cost of 2.6 billion dollars. Estimated completion date 2025
The Panama Metro line is the largest country in the project since the expansion of the Panama Canal. Unlike line 1 and line 2 which were metro lines, line 3 is a monorail. The line will establish a connection between the province of Panama Oeste and the province of Panama, reducing the average travel time by half, from 90 minutes to 45 minutes. The monorail system will be the first to use Japanese technology in the Americas and will pass through a tunnel constructed underneath the Panama Canal. Set to become the first such beneath the canal, the 4km-long tunnel will have a diameter of 13m and will be situated at a depth of more than 50m
5. Africa: Lagos to Calabar Railway at an estimated cost of 11.92b dollars. Estimated completion date 2027
The project will include the construction of 1402km of line, as well as 22 stations and ancillary facilities, administrative space, and level crossings. It will connect the largest Nigerian city, Lagos to the southwest region of Calabar which is near the border with Cameroon. This is a relatively new project after only gaining approval on 4th August 2021.
4. Oceania: The North East Link at an estimated cost of 15.8b dollars. Estimated completion date 2027.
The North East Link is a proposed 26-kilometer tolled motorway scheme in Melbourne, Australia, to connect the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough with the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen. It is estimated to carry around 100,000 vehicles a day, providing non-stop movement and easier access for freight operators. It has however come under criticism from locals and politicians alike mainly due to the cost and environmental impact of the project. North East Link is the most expensive road project ever constructed in Victoria and has already faced significant cost increases from the originally planned $10bn to $16bn.
3. North America : California High-Speed Rail at an estimated cost of $77 billion dollars. The estimated opening is 2029 for Central Valley Section but the completion of the project as a whole is unknown at present.
The California High-Speed Rail will extend from Sacramento to San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations. The system will reduce the transit time from 8 hours to under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. Per the 2020 Business Plan, by the end of 2021, construction will be completed or underway on 83 of 93 structures, and on 106 miles of guideway of the 119 miles of the initial system. According to the fact sheet on the authority website, in 2022, when the Initial Operating Section (Merced to the San Fernando Valley) is up and running, the resulting greenhouse gas reductions will be between 100,000 and 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the first year. That’s the equivalent of between 17,700 and 53,000 personal vehicles taken off the road. However, there has been a concern in regards to the budget. The project was presented to voters with a projected cost of $40 billion in 2008. In March 2018, the Authority revised its estimate to $77.3 billion
2. Asia: Delhi to Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project at an estimated cost of 90b dollars. Estimated completion date 2037.
The Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project (DMIC) will transform the countries industrial ability as well as connecting India’s capital, Delhi, and its financial hub, Mumbai. It will span 1,483 km and will include 24 industrial regions, eight smart cities, two international airports, five power projects, an 8 lane highway, two mass transit bus systems, India’s first high-speed rail lIne, and two logistical hubs. They will be spread along the western dedicated freight corridor which is a massive freight train route, acting as the backbone to this project.
1. Europe: High Speed 2 at an estimated cost of 121b dollars. Estimated completion date 2035.
High Speed 2 (HS2) will be a high-speed railway network in the United Kingdom, with its first phase between London and Birmingham currently under construction. The railway will be the country’s second high-speed line, the first being High Speed 1 (HS1) which connects London to the Channel Tunnel. With a “Y”-shaped network of track and a design speed of 400 km/h (250 mph), the new railway will link London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.
The costs of HS2 were estimated in 2010 to be between $42 billion and $50 billion; in 2015, this estimate was combined with the cost of rolling stock and adjusted for inflation to give a budget of $77 billion. A review in 2019 estimated the project would cost between $111 billion and $121 billion in 2019 prices. It is predicted the time savings between London and Birmingham will drop from its current 1 hour 21 time to 52 minutes.
Why not watch our video on The Most Expensive Infrastructure Projects Under Construction?
