A £6billion undersea tunnel megaproject could link Africa and Europe by 2030, creating a 17-mile passage between Punta Paloma in southern Spain and Malabata in northwest Morocco.
The proposed tunnel, which would be up to 1,558ft below sea level, would house a high-speed rail line under the Strait of Gibraltar.
If the ambitious timeline is met, the tunnel could be operational in just over five years, providing crucial transport for fans attending the 2030 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
The upcoming sporting event has reignited interest in the infrastructure project, which has been on the drawing board since the 1970s.
While some engineers have suggested a bridge as a more feasible alternative, advancements in rail technology have tipped the scales in favour of an undersea mega tunnel.
Spain boasts one of Europe’s most sophisticated high-speed rail networks, while Morocco has a 201-mile bullet train running from Casablanca to Tangier.
An underwater rail tunnel could slash the travel time between Madrid and Casablanca to just five and a half hours, a significant improvement on the current twelve-hour car journey.
In 1979, a joint committee of Spanish and Moroccan authorities was formed to explore the possibility of an underwater tunnel link, but the project didn’t progress past the initial feasibility studies.
However, last year saw renewed interest in the project, with the Spanish Society for Fixed Communication Studies across the Strait of Gibraltar revisiting its viability, and the Moroccan Nation Company for Strait Studies following suit recently.
Spanish authorities predict that the tunnel could ferry up to 12.8 million passengers annually between the two nations, though the construction is projected to cost over £6bn.
If successful, this would be the first-ever rail link between two continents, enhancing global connectivity.
