The English Channel Tunnel
For many, many years there have been several attempts to connect England and France. Bridges and tunnels have been conspired, but all attempts failed. Many thought it could never be done, but England and France have finally been connected via the English Channel through a subaqueous tunnel. The English Channel Tunnel is one of the world's greatest engineering feats. For more than two centuries, there have been numerous attempts and plans to link England and France across the English Channel. Iron bridges, undersea tunnels, causeways and damns were suggested in every way and combination possible. The main reasons for the attempts that failed were due to lack of technology and funding. (Featherson 4) In 1987, a dream became a reality for all of Europe when preliminary work on a tunnel under the English Channel began. Construction on the project was one of the world's largest undertaken on the planet. "The tunnel was more than a hole in the ground. Its one of the world's largest engineering projects ever," says Gordon Creighton, a project developer. (Featherson 3) The two main stations are on Shakespeare Cliff in England and Coquelles in France. The English Channel Tunnel was a complex web of tunnels. There were a to
Even the newest tunneling techniques have not taken out all the hazards. On both ends of a single train are locomotives that are to provide fast backing if needed. Like every construction project, there was extreme danger envolved. The trains travel at a speed of one hundred miles-per-hour. The two rail tunnels were to transport the trains traveling in each direction. The two rail tunnels were on the outside and the service tunnel was in the middle. (Featherston 207) The first tunnel to be completed was the service tunnel in December of 1990. Two hundred years of failed attempts, England and France were finally connected via the English Channel in 1994. tal of about twelve tunnels; six on England's side and six on France's side. The Chunnel is controlled by a company called Eurotunnel. (Featherston 52) Through hard work and millions of dollars later, The English Channel Tunnel became a reality after centuries of past failed attempts. It was estimated that a delay could cost a daily average of one million dollars every day lost. (Newman 42) Many say that the tunnel looked like a factory site while under construction. (Featherston 22) Most of the heavy digging was done by the tunnel boring machines (TBM). Maybe one could consider this the eighth wonder of the world.
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