Feb.27--A FEASIBILITY study for a 105-kilometre tunnel between Helsinki to the Estonian capital of Tallinn would bypass Russian territory by going under the Gulf of Finland at an estimated cost of US$12 billion.
If completed it, would be the longest submerged tunnel in the world. It is not expected to be opened before 2030, and would cut travel time between the two cities to just 30 minutes in one direction.
More important, the tunnel would provide road and rail routes from Finland through the eastern Baltic states without traversing Russian territory.
The authors of the report calculate the state governments and EU would be required to provide 40-50 per cent of the funding for the tunnel, with a debt repayment period of 35-40 years.
Gdynia's Baltic Transport Maps reports that completion of the Rail Baltica project is a prerequisite for the tunnel project, according to the study by Sweco, Kohateam and Finantsakadeemia.
The analysis also underlines the need for more detailed studies covering the tunnel's construction and operation.
(Source:shippingazette)