MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. If completed, the construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait between Chukotka and Alaska could become one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in world history due to the region's remoteness from major economic centers and the extreme conditions of the Far North, Nadezhda Zamyatina, Director of the Center for Arctic and Northern Urbanism at the Higher School of Economics, told TASS.
"Constructing a tunnel in the remoteness of the main economic centers and the harsh conditions of the North would obviously be one of the most expensive projects in history," she said.
According to Zamyatina, the tunnel itself through the Bering Strait is technically feasible and is only approximately 1.5 times longer than the Channel Tunnel. However, the main challenges relate to the delivery of materials and the creation of the accompanying infrastructure in Chukotka.
The expert added that food and fuel are delivered to the region as part of the northern supply, while transporting large volumes of metal structures and concrete for construction will require complex logistical solutions. She also noted the need to build transport approaches to the tunnel in Chukotka.
"Not only its construction but also its operation will be several times more expensive than in developed areas. Even more expensive than the Baikal-Amur Mainline," Zamyatina believes.
According to the expert, the main issue in discussing the construction of a tunnel across the Bering Strait remains the availability of a freight base that could ensure the project's cost-effectiveness.
"It's not even vaguely clear what volumes are expected to be transported between Chukotka and Alaska to make the project even remotely profitable," she noted.
The expert noted that gold produced in Chukotka is already being transported by air, and the development of the Baimskaya ore zone does not entail the delivery of raw materials to the United States. She also doubted that it will be possible to ensure a significant transit flow of cargo through Chukotka under the current geopolitical conditions. According to her, rail infrastructure in the North is only feasible if large volumes of raw materials are transported. In the case of the tunnel between Chukotka and Alaska, such volumes are not yet in sight, Zamyatina said.
Earlier, Kirill Dmitriev, Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), announced an agreement with an engineering company to design a tunnel between Russia and the United States.
He noted that he hopes to complete the design of the "Putin-Trump tunnel" under the Bering Strait by the end of 2026 and believes that even China could join the project.