Construction projects are expensive, and the most ambitious projects can cost billions of rubles or even dollars. Experts from the English construction and engineering company MTX Contracts and the Finch Group company specializing in real estate have calculated how much the 10 most expensive construction projects in the world cost.

10. Tunnel under the English Channel (aka Eurotunnel) Cost – 22.4 billion dollars.

This tunnel stretches for 50 450 meters, connecting the UK with France. Moreover, 39 kilometers of the tunnel passes under water, which is a record for such structures. During the work, the builders seized 8 million cubic meters of rock. The French mixed it with water and sent it back to the sea. But the British created an artificial cape Shakespeare from the extracted rock, on which they later arranged a park. The cost of construction turned out to be 80% more than expected, due to the ever-increasing requirements of safety and environmental protection. The project started in 1988 and was completed in 1994. According to the participants of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Eurotunnel is one of the seven wonders of the world of our time.

9. The Greater Boston Tunnel is worth more than $23 billion.

At the end of the 20th century, Boston, like most of the world’s megacities, suffered from an abundance of cars. The whole city was periodically in traffic jams. The solution to this problem was the construction of Big Dig – the “Big Trench” or, according to the official name, the Great Boston Tunnel. More than 5,000 people participated in the construction of the 8-lane tunnel. It is curious that during the implementation of such a large-scale project, not a single house was destroyed. The project was completed on the last day of 2007, ten years behind schedule and cost several million dollars more than expected.

8. Kansai International Airport Construction cost – $ 29 billion.

One of the most unusual airports in the world is located in the second largest city of Japan, Osaka. It is based on an artificial island, which makes it immune to earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Japan. A three-kilometer bridge connects Kansai with the city. Most of the budget was spent on metal support columns and other supporting elements.

7. High-speed rail in California, the project price is $ 33 billion.

Construction of a high-speed railway in California with a length of about 837 kilometers began in 2015 and was supposed to be completed in 2020. She was supposed to connect Los Angeles with San Francisco. Later, the budget increased to $ 77 billion, and the construction dates were postponed for another 13 years, until 2033. However, in 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he was abandoning one of the most expensive construction projects of our time, and would shift all attention to the construction of a 275-kilometer section of the line in the California Valley. In the future, this site may become part of a larger-scale project.

6. The Songdo International Business District cost $40 billion.

This is a “smart city” built from scratch on 600 hectares of alluvial island, 65 km from Seoul. At the moment, it is the largest successful investment project of private investors in real estate. 61% of the total investments belong to the American company Gale International, 30% – South Korean Posco and 9% – American Morgan Stanley. The latest technology allows Songdo residents to hold video conferences with their neighbors, while sensors located in every building and on the street collect information to regulate street lighting, alert authorities about criminal behavior or inform passengers when the next bus is coming. The Songdo Business District was created to attract entrepreneurs and tourists from the nearby Incheon International Airport. There are plans to create replicas of attractions from other cities, including Central Park, with deer and rabbits.

5. Dubayland This amusement park is worth more than 76 billion dollars.

An ambitious leisure project that, although not completed, is one of the most expensive construction projects in the world. If Dubai has decided that it needs a family-oriented attraction, then it will not stand for the price. It is expected that Dubayland will open before the end of 2020. It will become the largest and most expensive entertainment venue in the world with design elements based on Arabic folklore, as well as a Disney theme park and an IMAX cinema. Also on its territory there will be copies of the most famous sights of the world, including the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower.

4. The economic city of King Abdullah is planned to allocate from 80 to 100 billion dollars for construction.

This city, which is not even half completed yet, will be slightly larger than Washington, D.C., and it will be home to 2 million people. Being an hour’s drive from Mecca, it will become the main tourist attraction of Saudi Arabia, with villas, a huge airport, as well as universities and the most modern port in the region. The city was conceived by King Abdullah (now deceased) as a basis for the diversification of the country’s economy. Instead of oil, EGoKA had to rely on the development of industry, transport and services. It was planned to create 1 million jobs on its territory of 173 square kilometers. However, so far, big business has not arrived in the miracle city, in which 90 km of roads have already been built.

3. Kashagan oil and gas field The development of the field cost $ 116 billion.

The joint operating company North Caspian Operating Company, which includes 7 companies from different countries, is working on the development of the largest oil field in the Caspian Sea. In addition to creating artificial islands for the development of the field, there were many difficulties during construction, including problems when drilling oil fields under high pressure. The oil reserves of this field are estimated at 1.5 – 10.5 billion tons.

2. The price of the International Space Station is 160 billion dollars.

This project is international not only in name, but also in essence. The cost of the space station, which in today’s prices would amount to $160 billion, was divided among 14 countries. It is planned that the ISS, built on Earth and assembled in space, will eventually “retire” in 2020, 26 years after its creation. How to leave the space station? Crashing into the ocean. This is one way to sink billions of “evergreen presidents.”

1. The national system of interstate and defense highways The total cost of the project is 459 billion dollars.

The construction of new routes and the development of old ones to serve the interstate highway system began in 1956 under President Dwight Eisenhower. Despite the fact that the interstate highway system was built significantly behind schedule and over budget, it achieved what it was intended for. An efficient transport network was created, which, in case of an emergency, ensured the rapid transfer of military and civilians to the right place.