This project is especially relevant on the eve of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The idea is that an underwater tunnel will connect the most populous Moroccan city of Casablanca with the Spanish capital Madrid.
The tunnel from Spain to Morocco should be ready for the 2030 World Cup
Recently, both countries decided to change the initial plans for the construction of a road tunnel to a railway one. This decision was made in anticipation of future traffic congestion and increased freight traffic in the region, which could lead to congestion during peak hours.
The planned tunnel will have a total length of 38.7 km, of which 27.8 km will be underwater. It will connect two railway terminals. Both tunnels are located at a distance of 42 km from each other. The tunnel is designed for the daily transportation of thousands of passengers and tons of cargo. This will greatly facilitate mobility between the two continents.
Last March, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Oscar Puente visited Morocco to get a closer look at the infrastructure and transport plans in Rabat. During his visit, Oscar Puente spoke about the implementation of the plan. Both countries have not yet determined the exact date of the next meeting. They will discuss the progress of the project. Both countries have stated that they want to accelerate the tunnel research, which has been going on for forty years, in order to accelerate the implementation of the project.
Underwater tunnels around the world
Eurotunnel
It connects ** Great Britain and France**, and allows you to get, for example, from Folkestone to Calais in just 35 minutes. Moreover, not only in train cars, but also in a private car — railway cars are designed for the entry of various vehicles. Trains leave 4 times an hour most of the day.
Seikan
The decision to build it in Japan was made after the tragedy of 1954, when about one and a half thousand passengers of the ferry ship died during a typhoon.
The tunnel has been under construction since 1964, was commissioned in 1988 and connected the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. Its total length is 53.85 km, approximately 23 km of which run under the Sangar Strait.
Drogden
It is part of a combined railway and motorway that connects the capital ** of Denmark** Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmo. The tunnel itself connects the artificial island of Peberholm with the artificial Kastrup peninsula on Amager Island.
Marmaray
This is one of the deepest underwater tunnels in the world. It is part of the project of the same name to modernize the suburban railway system of Istanbul. This made it possible to unload the highways and connect the European and Asian parts of the city. And during the construction, more than 40 thousand historical artifacts were found.