Like informs Euronews, Finland and Estonia have signed a protocol on the construction of a railway tunnel under the Gulf of Finland, which will connect the capitals of these countries. The corresponding project has been discussed for several years. The length of the route will be 103 kilometers, the cost of the work is estimated at $ 20 billion. It is claimed that construction may be completed by the end of 2024.
Currently, the capitals are connected only by ferry service, and the project is aimed at uniting the two cities into a single metropolis. The project is privately funded and will take about two years.
“The tunnel, of course, is long, but we are very lucky that there are excellent geological conditions - hard rock, granite all the way from Helsinki to Tallinn. And technically it shouldn't be that hard, although of course you never know what you'll stumble upon. But we believe we will be able to drill very quickly using the new plasma drilling technology - this speeds up the process tenfold. Innovation will be applied, ”explains Peter Westerbacka, founder and executive chairman of FinEst Bay Area Development, who is leading the project.
Finest Bay's Vesterbacka is best known for his role in the creation of the mobile game Angry Birds a few years ago. He said that the construction of a tunnel connecting the Finnish region of Helsinki with Tallinn, Estonia, would provide jobs for 30,000 people annually for six years. According to the company, about 24,000 of these workers will be from Finland.
It is planned to build two tunnels - for freight and passenger trains. An artificial island is planned to be built in the Gulf of Finland. Supporters of the project argue that it will contribute to the economic development of both countries, but many observers have expressed doubts about the profitability of the structure.
