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An idea that's been floating around for more than four decades might finally be moving closer to reality. Engineers studying the feasibility of a tunnel beneath the Strait of Gibraltar have concluded that connecting Spain and Morocco by rail underground is technically achievable and if things go to plan, the first phase of construction could begin as early as 2027.

 

The project, promoted by the Spanish Society for Studies of Fixed Communication of the Strait of Gibraltar, known as SECEGSA, a public company that also oversaw the construction of the M-30 tunnels under the Manzanares River in Madrid, envisions a tunnel stretching almost 42km in total, with 27.7km of that running beneath the sea.

 

It would connect Punta Paloma near Tarifa on the Spanish side with Malabata near Tangier in Morocco, dropping to a maximum depth of 475 metres at its lowest point.

 

Rather than a road crossing for cars, the plan actually calls for three separate tunnels, two for trains and one for emergency services, so if you were hoping to drive between continents, that's not on the cards, at least for now.

 

SECEGSA has put the estimated cost of the project at somewhere between €7.5 billion and €10 billion, and while they've described it as feasible given the advances in modern engineering, they've been equally clear that it's going to be a tremendous challenge.

 

The trickiest part, according to their analysis, will be drilling through the Camarinal Threshold, a natural underwater ridge that marks the point where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Relevant institutions have already been put on notice that this particular stretch will present a huge economic and logistical challenge.

 

It's worth noting that while SECEGSA has declared the project viable, the tunnel has been on the table in various forms since the early 1980s, and the road from feasibility study to actual construction is a long one. But with current engineering capabilities now deemed sufficient to take it on, there's more optimism around the project than there has been in years.