Why Nobody Can Build A Transport Link Between Europe And Africa
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- A potential mega project transport link between Europe and Africa is still unsolved, up to now nobody has managed to build a bridge or undersea tunnel link between Spain and Morocco across the strait of Gibraltar, today we explore some of the engineering challenges behind this mega project and can anyone actually build this?
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Can this actually be solved? We're hearing rumors of a potential bridge planned to be built now but we're not so sure on this one
Wrong i heard tgere is a underwatrr tunnel planned
Building a bridge between Morocco and Spain that allows vehicles and trains to pass is a very easy task nowadays. It is not done because it is not wanted to be done. Just like the bridge between Italy and Sicily that was not built. Solutions to distances and other force problems can be found. As long as it is wanted.
It seems incredibly hard, I've often wondered if a system like the one used for oil platforms is an option, oil rigs are incredibly stable and operate in depths of 500m regularly, or you could build out as far as possible from the coasts and use oil rig like structures for form the central span secured by multiple cables. above and below.
They can, now there is a tunnel project.
You can't imagine a solution because your imagination sucks.
I've a feeling there are a lot of European people who wouldn't want a bridge there anyway.
Yeah. Like all of them.
Gee, wonder why?
well, now that they can't colonize with impunity..... the Algerian shaking off of their French overlords wasn't that long ago.
@@saeedhossain6099 Colonization isn't a practical plan any longer. These days it's more like a hoard of illegals hitching a ride. Morocco mostly has the extremists under control for now, but given a chance to enter Europe could make their goal much harder.
@@emptiesterhow do you know, have you spoken to all the people in Europe? I can't remember having spoken to you about this.
If there was an urgent need for such an infrastructure, they would have probably found a solution.
The reality is that there is no real economic benefit or, at least, not big enough to start such a huge project: this is clear by just looking at the flow of ships that go THROUGH the passage. Ships don't go from Africa to Europe and vice versa, but go east-west.
All this traffic is basically traffic from Asia to the U.S. and Rotterdam via the Suez canal.
The Strait is simply one of those places in the world where a bunch of ferries is the optimal solution
Exactly and there is already a fleet of ferries and other well equipped vessels operating on this route
And they're not even huge and frequent.
Granted, if there were giant ships every hour, full of thousands of people and freight, then maybe you could make a business case for a fixed link. But that's not the reality.
What does a bunch of gay men have to do with it?
It's called the Straits of Gibraltar, British. So a bridge should be British, and the British could collect a toll fee for every vehicle crossing.
And the budget for ferries would take a very long, long time to burn through 20 billion dollars, even with replacement of vessels every few years. A megaproject doesn’t make any sense, financially.
Ferries handle it quite nicely.
@@garyb6219 oh, we believe you.
@@nunyabitnezz2802LOL!!
@@garyb6219 😂😂
Or blimps. 🤔
@@cogentdesign but ferries are already there, buzzing to and fro
The sad truth is that it'd turn Morocco into the largest refugee camp in the world.
sounds great to me
@@Nightspyz1 Don't worry. One day you'll be fertilizer and you stop feeling guilty about being a waste of time and space to everyone around you.
@@Nightspyz1 Don't worry, one day you'll be fertilizer and the quiet guilt you have of being a waste of time and space to everyone around you will finally be over.
yes, I'm sure the muslim oil caliphs would love to finance a new invasion route through spain!!!
Isn't it already?
Maybe a zip line instead? Weeeeee
😆 gets my vote
Perfection.
Giant catapult.
I'm on board@@Dirty_Hamble
@@Dirty_Hamble a trebuchet might be more fun
Having a land connection with Africa would be a death sentence for Europe
If you look under water. You will see they are connected. That part is just under the water..
Our elites are conducting that death sentence as we speak. They're just doing slightly slower than would happen if we were connected to Africa.
@@YOUR-WORD-IS-YOUR-BOND Isn't any continent linked by that logic?
Just bridge the gap with a parallel universe. Find an uninhabited universe where there is a land bridge between them, and build portals to and from it on either side. Problem solved.
Problem is though, we'd need to find a way to setup receivers in the other universe... Which of course is super easy to do these days in an inhabited universe since we can just communicate with the other side.... We'd need to find out how to get a matter receiver on the other side.
So the solution is Sliders!
This has saved Europe for thousands of years. Up until recently.
Yeah, Spain totally wasn't ruled for 700 years by people who crossed over from Africa without a bridge or tunnel
@@shaneg9081 People we should have the sense to keep out to this day. Unfortunately we forget the lessons of the past.
Far more worthwhile projects to address before this needs considering. Even if it could be done that doesn't mean it SHOULD be done.
of course it could be built. but we Europeans dont want another route for millions of migrants.😮
You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT
migrants that are leaving their home countries because their home countries have been wrecked by European imperialism. The chickens have come home to roost
Yes you're right but with very low birth rates and higher taxes Western countries have no choice, it will happen slowly but in less than 50yrs most of the western countries will be full of brown people compared to what its now, hyper capitalism and the law courts have a hand in it.
Its hilarious you think a single bridge would cause a notable increase. You know its pretty damn easy to regulate a single bridge, right? I guess Europe isn't sending its best people to this comment section.
@@mizu7662 You're not European, right? I am German and I can assure you that we have a lot of migration-friendly rules here, e.g. if a migrant shouts "ASYL", he is taken to a special asylum centre. A decision is then made in a long, complicated procedure as to whether or not they will be granted asylum. It then takes 2 years (on average) to decide whether the migrant is suffering from war or human rights violations, which is usually not possible because the migrants burn their passports and make false statements. After that, it is almost impossible to get rid of him if he is one of the 88% who only come for social welfare (Germany offers the highest amounts in Europe...). In most cases, the countries of origin do not take the migrants back, either because they have committed crimes or because they transfer part of the social welfare back to the country to support the family, which of course helps the states.
Estimates to build it from 5-20 billion dollars? You taking the pi$$?? You can double or triple that amount as unforeseen technical problems will inevitably arise . The actual cost of building the Channel Tunnel (9 billion UK pounds in 1994 - equivalent to 22 billion today) was almost double its original estimate of 5 billion UK pounds. Crossrail in London to link the west of the Capital to the east by rail tunnel was estimated to cost 14 billion pounds and ended up costing 24 billion largely due to the technical challenges of the project. The cost of the 'Big Dig' road tunnels in Boston overran by over 190%.
Costs are adjusted every year, so a estimated cost is useless. Look at the high speed rail California is building to someday connect San Francisco to LA. Original cost was somewhere abound 24 billion. Now the cost for just a short section is over 100 billion and rising. If it is ever completely built, it will be probably over 200 billion. A lot of money for a train track that is suppose to be affordable to everyone.
Don't forget the weather, it can cause significant delays as well. Also, don't forget if there are any problems with obtaining materials, equipment, workers, and other needed supplies, that can also cause delays and significantly set a project back by not only weeks or even months, but years in some instances!!
I went on a solo-backpacking-adventure to Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Tarifa and a swift ferry ride (no, not that one) to Morocco for eleven days and back to Tarifa. The final city in my expedition was Sevilla. My sabbatical was an unforgettable and monumental. If there is a bridge between España & Morocco, It will definitely not be for the faint of heart. The Spaniards are complaining about Tourists imagine migrants from all over Africa maybe even, Wakanda.
I spent time studying the in Spain and almost weekly, I'd read about dead illegals coming from Morocco washed ashore in Spain. No bridge work fine.
It can be built one way or another. But it's cost prohibitive and totally pointless.
This topic, along with a few others related, was meant as a curiosity to create links between all continents, except for Antarctica.
Two others were a bridge across the Bering Straight to link Alaska and Russia, and another to link New York and London via an underwater tunnel.
These topics, and some similar ideas, were part of a show with a couple iterations: Extreme Engineering, Building the Impossible, and Build It Bigger.
I think a few episodes are posted on YT.
That's good info. I'll bet most of the traffic on a Bering strait bridge would be brown bears and indigenous dudes /dudettes fishing off it. Worthy, but maybe not economically viable.
Sounds like Spain has been dodging a bullet for decades…can’t say I blame them.
Actually, Africans have been dodging the bullet. Less herpes.
Not really, one way or another we are getting flooded with illegal immigrants and most of them are criminals, they are destroying the country and we were already screwed with our own corrupt politicians
“Comparable?” It would have to be twice as long as the bay bridge!
And no island in the middle to aid support
And the bay bridge has an island 1/3rd of the way across!
Spain doesn't need additional doctors and engineers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Spain has enough AIDS?
But Israel want Spain to absorb soon to be expelled palestinians, and to do so without increasing anti semit sentiment ruckus.
I guess Africa can keep all their astronauts, too, bigot.
Just build a wormhole from one side to the other. Problem solved.
I like the colorful topography, ocean currents.
The Troll oil/gas drilling platform was 472 meters in height, and was sited in 303 meters of water offshore from Norway. At the time, it was the tallest structure ever moved. Over time, it has sunk 36 meters into the subsea surface.
A similar structure could be the basis for a bridge. However, the cost would be astronomical, with each tower costing as much as $1 billion or more.
There would also be some issues with ecosystems, as various plant and animal species could migrate over the bridge, either autonomous or carried by vehicles.
Bridge is a dumb idea.
Ty
It will NEVER happen!!! The amount of money needed is more then enough to build state of the art ports on both sides and ran ships across for next 500 years
Not about imaginary money, they don't want africa getting easy access to Europe
odd that im sure people said that about the euro tunnel. Oh and don't forget the bridge between ukraine and crimea.
@@georgebodley8068 But the Euro Tunnel and Crimera Bridge are not plates crossing
Have you followed the news for the last 5+ years about boatloads of illegal migrants landing in Italy, Greece, Spain, etc. and the resulting social tensions in those and other European countries? Why would any European country (or the whole EU for that matter) want to import lawlessness from Africa, a continent long wracked by civil wars/military coups/economic mismanagement, etc.? Not every issue is a (purely) technical/construction problem, even if such construction project is feasible technically.
Bring back the Qaddhafis : they offered to the Africans who migrated into Libya better living conditions and pays than anywhere in Europe provided they work (mostly in construction) and work they did.
I say forget bridge or tunnel. Leave as is.
What about the immigration nightmare, with all the check stations required?
an immigration nightmare caused by European imperialism
It's possible. But neither sensible nor required.
Europe wasted 700 billion on rescuing banks, ... now suddenly a measly 20 billion for a tunnel should be an issue? Make me laugh....
is there a great amount of trade between Europe and North Africa that could be sent over a transport link?
There was before Europe annihilated Carthage 😊
There's a guy named Rick down in Casablanca. He can build it pretty cheap, I hear.
We just need an idea how
1 use vehicle ships going back and forth.
2 fill a thin line of durt to add a highway on both sides, meeting in middle to where it has the ships' water path separate them with 2 open/ closed bridges.
3 a floating bridge with an open and closed ship path separation in middle that is flexible and strong against winds and water and earthquake mabye lol
My nephew has swum across the Straits of Gibraltar.👍🏻
And this is relevant to the story why...?
Why not massive fairy ships to transport cars, trucks and containers. Look how fast containers can be loaded in Singapore.
Why Not? - think Scott-Keyes Bridge. That's why not
Upside-Down Water Train is my idea.
Build bridges at either side and do a 5 mile tunnel for a shipping lane in the middle.
Using ships like one of those old bridges that would spin?
The water flows primarily into the Mediterranean Sea to replace what the Mediterranean loses through evaporation? Doesn't water also evaporate off of the Atlantic? I understand that the Atlantic is deeper so it probably loses a smaller percentage of it's volume to evaporation, but it would also sometimes rain over both bodies of water, and rain on the Mediterranean (and rivers that feed into it) would also have a greater impact on replenishing it due to it being not as deep.
I would also think that tidal action would be dominant over all of these effects.
You can build a number of side by side ferry docks on each side and construct several ferries for way less than $20B. Forget about the $5B estimate .
And building a bridge across a tectonic boundary is insane.
Not to mention the depth of the bridge piers.
A bridge is not happening. Nor should it.
Is there any economic incentive?
nah.
There could be, along the coast towards nigeria. Sahara is a problem. No decent roads after Morocco and building them means constant maintenance in removing sand. Then once passed, you get to tropical forest and far from optimal roads for quite some time aswell.
Not worth it to only do it for Morocco. Entire north Africa also not. Its faster by ship.
Also, Russia China, Iran are unlocking a trade route north south, to the east of Africa, which is then connected to the new east-west 'silk' road.
Yes, the UK is running low on pizza delivery professionals.
Yeah, for the “migrants” invading Europe! 😂
Ask the Chinese engineers, they shall its inst impossible 😂
And it will last for about 10 years at best
@@dejannincic9671you lousy fellow it will last for centuries
@@nageshmr5209 best joke I heard today
It's never an engineering problem. Finance and political problems will kill it faster than any lack of ability
It is.
The African plate is moving to the Eurasian plate at 3cm/year.
Not possible to build a fixed structure spanning it.
I was hoping this would be the first thing mentioned, but its not mentioned at all. Instead the maker of video is comparing to bridges and tunnels that are all on the same tectonic plate.
If there was land, they'd want a canal. Can't satisfy.
There are better alternative uses for the investment funds and engineering talent required for this project.
Okay but there's no good way to bridge the gap 😭😭
It will be constructed in some form despite everones worries, mostly from the standard acceptable narrative.
The Ferry system there is really quite good...problem solved ;)
I would choose a not too expensive solution : a bridge supported by boats. I would be flexible enough not to be disturbed by the formidable current, and also to be opened at times to allow the passing of big super-ships. Boat bridges of several kilometers were built by generals of antiquity.
100.000 ships per year is 274 each day, is 11 each hour.
Baltimore comes to mind
Should it be economically viable, solutions would be found like most things built on this planet.
A tunnel would likely require a massive breakwater at the mouth of the strait to stabilize the inbound current, which could be 10 times the cost of the tunnel itself.
Do we really want to make it easier for illegal immigrants to enter Europe?
No such thing as an illegal immigrant.
Too many ships pass through daily. One accident can destroy that bridge. The Mediterranean is way to salty and the waters are rough. Not worth the cost. Give me the funds so I can retire soon.
How the hell are they all going to drown on a Bridge??
Floating bridge, ship access on the steepest height for ship traffic.....we have 2 major ones here in WA State.
Catapults?
Trebuchets.
Why would you even want to??
Maybe they don't want guests bringing their beautiful culture to Europe
THE MODULAR FLOATING BRIDGE.
My idea was the underwater tube. But of course, it would have the problems of all those currents
connect 130 ships each is 100 meter long that will make 13000m or 13 km bridge
A bridge that opens 274 times a day.
Why people’s biggest problem is connecting all continents with bridges?
There shall not be any physical bridge between Africa and Europe.
How about a fleet of extra-wide ships outfitted as parking lots and train segments of a dozen connected cars. You load on and turn off your vehicle. Then you go to a lounge/shopping area. When you get your the other side, you drive off onto a road. Because they are ships, there are no bridge engineering issues. And it can scale either way need and be financed through usage fees.
We don’t need to connect poor people to the rich people. There’s no need for them
(1:05) Mackinaw Bridge at the Straits of Mackinaw - Northern Michigan; Aurora Borealis Highlighting the states gem.
Instead of $100 dollar bills, you should be using 100 Euro bills... and the equivalent corresponding money from the other end of the link...
Also I have noticed the altered Bayoone Bridge... so is there a reasonable ferry linking the continents?
The “why” starts at 3:12.
Another nonsense video NEVER build nothing to conect Spain/Europe with Africa.
We can build a cargo transport bridge between them. There is already other systems in place between them.
Time will make it possible. The African continent continues to have many rapid growing economies. Expanding and mature economies need the infrastructure to sustain it. At the same time, I think we’re rounding the curve technology wise to make this much more feasible. The geopolitical issue in my opinion is minor once the financial benefit and obstacles become more pronounced. The amount of trade would be significant for both Europe and Africa and Spain and Morocco would add life changing revenue to both countries.
The pillars of Hercules sounds so much better then our modern name
$20Bn is chicken feed considering the size of the European economy and the long term benefits that would accrue from a "land" transport link on the western side of both continents. $50Bn, $100Bn would also not be real financial obstacles for the theoretical long term benefits. No, the real obstacles are technical and political, neither of which are likely to be overcome any time soon. Once a bridge or tunnel with at least a 50 year no significant maintenance lifespan is technically feasible then moving forward on a project proposal might be viable.
One should construct a swimming bridge.
They should build a wall.
True. Africans don't want your herpes. Keep it to yourselves.
Connect to people completely different is never good. One will suffer and we know which one.
In this video he talks about a link from Europe to Africa, like a bridge, it's not feasible because the return investment can't be realized, and I have been to Morocco 5 times, and it's extremely rare for Americans to travel to Africa in the 1st place as it doesn't appeal to Americans, but one thing I do understand is the fact that the majority of Europeans going to North Africa are from France, no where else, and they travel via a ferry system and when they go,they bring there RVS,and go to camping grounds,with there mobile antenna and spend time in Morocco, no where else, not Algeria or Tunisia, only Morocco and if they need to go back to France, they can go by train to Casablanca and fly back to France and neither France or Morocco will be willing to pay for a project like that, not even on a joint agreement ,there is no Hugh demand for something like that, so forget the idea,in the 1st place, keep the money in the country where it is needed 1st, but the vast number of Moroccan people are poor and rely on tourism as there major source of revenue, just like in Hawaii, same thing, different place, but going to Hawaii as a tourist is not cheap, by no stretch of the ideology or the concept
To skip the intro, jump to 3:10
There's no way any local would want a fucking massive bridge on the ocean/sea polluting some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. You can go on ferry
8:35 wow thats cheap! Can we get those guys to come build the Third Link for Quebec City?
Tectonic Plate Movements make the connectivity unfeasible.
Bridge makes no sense. . The formidable costs are not worth the benefit of linking Europe to waaay north west area of Africa. Not counting the ship traffic considerations.
If it is built, there goes the neighborhood !!
A tunnel has been bored across a tectonic plate boundary before, in Turkey for its Metro.
I am just wondering, if ships can float, is it not possible to make a bridge that also floats?
There's a tectonic rift there
Theoretically, it could be a floating tunnel, ancored 30-40 metres under water surface. Or, maybe a pontoon bridge.
But that's fucking engineering wonder
It can be done, but Europe doesn't want it understandable.
Only a fool would think that space travel is necessary while this project continues to remain incomplete
Well…at least they were able to build it in wolfenstein. That’s gotta count for something right?
Roll on roll off large scale ferries and dedicated terminals would have to be a way cheaper more flexible option.
We all know why there’s no bridge
Sometimes leaving things unconnected is better than connecting everything. The US navy is why it’s not happening
I spent some time in Gibraltar. Some of my friends took a ferry across the strait because they hated the idea of being so close to Casablanca without seeing it. I was low on money, so I didn't go. When they got back, they were depressed. They didn't think the trip had been worth it and said I was smart for saving my money. I'd guess it has something to do with that.
Yes a bridge can be easily created.
By utilization of military bridges customized and with ballast tanks.
Another point is to connect the bridges by automated systems and utilization of these bridges to create lanes for shipping traffic
Why would any link be necessary. Europe and North Africa must not be linked in order to protect Spain and Europe.
While I suppose there are some people in the UK, France etc who like the idea of an easy drive to Morocco for a holiday I can't see this project ever being a goer for so many reasons.
I certainly can't see Morocco wanting to become a staging post for migrants from elsewhere. Sounds like a people smuggler's wet dream.
There is already a land bridge between Europe and Africa...it's called the Levant.
The water is 365m deep, that is the exact length of the worlds largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas
Should be common sense. You gonna get super cargo ships and aircraft carriers under this theoretical bridge?
They go under the Meglar Bridge at Astoria Oregon, which crosses the Columbia River near its mouth. But not that many in a day. But this is not considering the technical and other challenges at the Straits of Gibraltar.