Plan For A 12,400-Mile Road Would Connect The US, Russia And Britain

A Russian railroad mogul has revealed plans to build a highway connecting Europe with the US.

The proposed road, Trans-Eurasian Belt Development (TEPR), would link Russia's eastern border with Alaska over the Bering Sea, CNN reports.

Head of the Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, presented the project at a meeting of the Russian Academy of Science.

TEPR would run all throughout Russia in addition to Western Europe and Asia by connecting with existing highway networks.

The total length of the highway would be about 12,400 miles, according to Daily Mail.

Yakunin told The Siberian Times,

This is an inter-state, inter-civilization, project. The project should be turned into a world 'future zone,' and it must be based on leading, not catching, technologies.

According to CNN, mainland Russia and mainland Alaska are separated by about 55 miles.

TEPR is expected to connect to Alaska's northern town of Nome, which is extremely isolated. There isn't a road to link the town with the rest of the state's road systems, and it's about 520 miles away from the nearest major Alaskan city.

Outside of Nome lies Fairbanks, the unofficial northern terminus of the Alaska Highway, which connects to Canada and can lead travelers to virtually every US state except Hawaii.

If built, a drive from London to Alaska on the TEPR is estimated to measure 8,064 miles, while a drive from London to New York would be around 12,910 miles.

Yakunin's proposal also entails a new train network along with oil pipelines and facilities to store electricity and water.

The paramount goals of the project are to create jobs, increase transportation of Russian oil, and turn the country into the center for intercontinental travel.

It would also end Russia's economic recession, which was caused largely by Western sanctions in response to Russia's military involvement in Ukraine.

The project is expected to cost trillions, but Yakunin believes the economic boom the road would create could easily cover such expenses.

Until TEPR is built, Australia will remain home to the world's longest continuous road.

Highway 1 is 9,000 miles long and spans throughout the entirety of Australia.

Citations: The 12400 mile superhighway from Britain to America (Daily Mail), Russia proposes worlds greatest superhighway (CNN)