Morocco Tunnel Set for Construction
Construction is set to begin on a railway tunnel running underneath the Gibraltar Strait that will connect Morocco and Spain. This Morocco tunnel project has been scheduled for construction for quite some time now. In the 1980’s, two teams from both regions met to begin talks about how and where to get the project started. The two teams assigned to the project are SNED from Morocco and SECEG from Spain. Although the two first came together in the 80’s, it was not until 1996 when the first technical report detailed the scope of the project surfaced.
Diplomatic relations issues between the two regions resulted in the project coming to a stand still for numerous years. As a result, the directors of transport for Morocco and Spain were unable to meet and get the ball rolling. The return of Moroccan ambassador to Spain, Omar Azziman, restored damaged relations and the project is now in full swing.
A panel of experts has steadily been reviewing every angle of the railway tunnel project to ensure there were no foreseeable problems once construction began. Technical and geological reports were the combined work of four firms: Typsa in Spain, Ingema in Morocco, Geodata in Italy and Lombardi in Switzerland. The detailed results of these reports will be made available to the public beginning at a later point this year.
At first, there were concerns regarding the infrastructure of the tunnel. Those concerns have since been laid to rest. Now there are financial concerns weighing on their minds. At a bare minimum, the railway tunnel project is expected to cost 5,000 Million Euros. Some critics estimate that figure to double over the course of the completion of the project. With no visible means of funding in sight, Morocco and Spain have each applied for financial aid from the European Union. Other financial institutional resources being sought after are the World Bank, European Investment Bank and Arab Monetary Fund.
Some engineers involved in the planning and construction of the railway tunnel project a nearly impossible task to complete. With that being said, there is a mutual feeling that the latest technological advances will go a long way towards overcoming insurmountable obstacles that lay ahead at present time.
This project is estimated to take nearly 20 years to complete. Once finished, the railway tunnel will feature 38.7 kilometers of a double railway tunnel system. Of that, 27.7 kilometers will be underwater as the tunnel goes between Punta Malabata in Morocco and Punta Palomas in Spain.
…more on Spain and Morocco
by Sam Mitchell
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February 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am
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