Comparison between the Channel Tunnel (UK, France) and the Seikan Essay

Comparison between the Channel Tunnel (UK, France) and the Seikan Tunnel (Japan) - Essay Example As early as 1802, a cross-Channel fixed link has emerged as an idea but materialization has pushed through only in 1988 where its construction finally began (ibid). The British Channel Tunnel Group, which was tasked to oversee the construction of the Tunnel, involved two banks and five construction companies. Advising on financing and securing loan commitments were the roles of the banks and on July 2, 1985 was the Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche finally formed. The 1975 project, which includes 11 volumes and a substantial environmental impact statement was the basis of the submission to the British and French governments of the Channel Tunnel Project (Wilson and Spick, 1994, p. 41). On the other hand, the Seikan Tunnel of Japan is considered the world’s longest undersea tunnel albeit the Channel Tunnel has a longer under-sea portion. The Seikan Tunnel travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait as part of the Kaikyo Line of Hokkaido Railway Company, and amidst its being the longest traffic tunnel in the world was however left underused due to faster and cheaper air travel. The main Seikan Tunnel was completed in 1985 while its final completion was scheduled for 1987 (Matsuo, 1986) but was however completed in 1988 as mentioned earlier. It finally opened on March 13, 1988, with constructions costs totaling to US$3.6 billion (Morse, 1988). Twenty years of surveying initially took place before the construction of the Channel Tunnel finally pushed through in which a chalk mark stratum gave way for a tunnel route to be bored. Said chalk mar was favourable to tunneling, strength, and ease of excavation (Kirkland, 1995). The chalk mar in the English side had the entire length of the channel whilst variable and difficulty geology ran a length of 5 kilometers on the French side. There were three bores consisting the Channel Tunnel, namely, two