Russia’s Superhighway Would Link London and New York

Russian Railways president Vladimir Yakunin has proposed a new plan for a trans-Siberian highway that could link Russia with the Alaska, according to CNN.

The "Trans-Eurasian Belt Development" (TEPR) project was announced during a meeting at the Moscow-based Russian Academy of Science and reported first in The Siberian Times.

"This is an inter-state, inter-civilization, project," said Yakunin, according to a March 23 report in the Russian paper. "The project should be turned into a world 'future zone,' and it must be based on leading, not catching, technologies."

The road would run across Russia and link up with current road systems in Western Europe and Asia. The plan calls for a 55-mile road to be built in order to bridge Russia and Alaska across the Bering Strait, which won't be an easy task.

If the project is successful, around 10 to 15 new industries would be created, along with new cities, job opportunities and further development of the Far East.

Approximately 48 U.S. states could be reached by the road, and theoretically it would take a driver 8,064 miles to drive from London to Alaska.

The estimated cost of the project has not been announced but it could easily reach "trillions of dollars," according to the paper. Yakunin believes the economic returns would more than make up for the cost of the project.

Currently, the longest road in the world can be found in Australia, where Highway 1 runs about 9,000 miles long, according to CNN.

So what do you think about the superhighway project? Does it sound like a good or bad idea? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below and check back with AutoWorldNews for the latest updates on the TEPR project.