I first heard of idea to build an undersea tunnel connecting Finish capital Helsinki with Estonian Tallinn, back in 2006. Soon it will be already 10 years, and I would probably have forget the idea of this project, but, today I red an article suggesting that estimate costs of such project could be EUR 13 billion, and it could be completed toward the end of 2030s.
The submarine tunnel, connecting Tallinn with Finnish capital Helsinki, could cost 9-13 billion euros, according to a preliminary feasibility study, released today.
The travel time between the two capitals would be reduced to 30 minutes. The study found that a railway tunnel would be the most viable option, as it could be connected to the already existing infrastructure in both countries.
One of the prerequisites of the project's success is also the completion of Rail Baltic, said the spokesperson of the Harju County Government.
According to the current vision, the travel time in the roughly 50-kilometer tunnel will be half an hour. The Rail Baltic, in turn, would reduce the travel time from Tallinn to Riga to less than 2 hours.
The calculations show that the total cost of the tunnel, along with traffic management, logistics centers and vehicles, would be in the region of 9-13 billion euros.
The preliminary study estimates the period of return to be around 35-40 years. About 40-50 percent of the building costs should fall on the shoulders of Estonian and Finnish governments, and the EU.
The preliminary study was based on the assumption that the tunnel will be completed toward the end of the 2030s. It was conducted by experts from Estonia, Finland and Sweden. The results of the study give reason to launch a more thorough investigation into the construction of the tunnel, its economic benefots and other broader impacts. If completed, the Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel would be the longest submarine tunnel in the world.
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