Saturday, March 22, 2008

the world's longest undersea tunnel


The Trans-Tokyo Bay Motorway named the Tokyo Bay Aqualine, its a toll highway (COST, 3000yen ONE WAY)that spans the narrowest gap of Tokyo Bay, opened to traffic in December 1997 after 31 years of studies with a total cost of 1.44 trillion yen (11,077 million dollars) The 15-kilometer expressway, connecting Kisarazu City of Chiba Prefecture and Kawasaki City of Kanagawa Prefecture, makes it possible to leave the traffic jam of tokyo bay area behind. Of the total length, 4.4 kilometers from the Kisarazu side is a bridge and 9.5 kilometers from the Kawasaki side is an undersea tunnel, which is the world's longest undersea tunnel, running 60 meters deep under the surface of the water. Before the completion of the Aqualine, there were 2 ways to cross the cities , 1.- driving between Kisarazu City and Kawasaki City 100 kilometers along the coastline of Tokyo Bay or 2.- taking a ferry for an hour.. Now the Aqualine connects the two cities in about 15 minutes.


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