Hello, all you top-lists lovers; today we have a new one for you: the 10 most expensive highways in the world.
Roads were developed over time as people traveled the same paths over and over by foot, eventually leading to traveling by horse and then by carriage. In the modern era, highways became essential because of the mass transit of people and raw materials transport, including bolstering national defense systems in times of crisis. It is impossible to imagine the world without roads, considering that modern business depends on the effectiveness of the transport from all over the world.
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To get more into the subject, we first need to explain the meaning of the word highway and then get into the details. The term “highway” includes all public roads on land; this refers to all main roads and public tracks. This term is not to be confused with freeway (motorway), as often people think. As we said earlier, “highway” already includes the freeway.
The richest countries in the world are known for their quality roads. We can mention a few countries that have the biggest, such as Australia and China. Australia’s pride and joy is their Highway 1 for being the largest in the world with over 9,009 miles. This highway connects all the parts of the continent, making transport much easier. China and the United States each have one of the largest highway networks in the world, and they are pretty close considering the number of the roads. The interstate system connects every state in the continental U.S., and in Europe, we have the European Routes Highway.
All the major highway projects in the world cost a fortune, and we tried to find relevant data on the total cost of their construction on the Web. If we look closer at the requirements, money is essential for building a quality road. While making this list, we considered several reports of the most expensive transportation projects published on Rediff and a list of the most extraordinary highways published on Business Insider.
Also, we can say that resources are one of the crucial facts, including manpower and time for building. That could not be done without the significant funds that states provide, ensuring that they will have the best quality roads for the price, so we ranked the roads by the amount of funds invested in them.
After you finish reading our list, be sure to check out the 6 most expensive public schools built in America. When you combine these two texts, you will realize that investing more funds often gives you better quality.
Let’s see the list of the 10 Most Expensive Highways in the World; prepare for some enormous sums of money.
10. Caracas-La Guaira highway, Venezuela – $600 million
This highway connects Caracas with the port city La Guairá. This project was made to be an alternative to the previous highway connecting Caracas with La Guairá that was very dangerous with a lot of curves that made the journey longer. Now, the journey takes about 20 minutes.
9. The H-3 Highway, Hawaii – $1.3 billion
The H-3 Highway, also called John A. Burns Freeway, is situated on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
It was finally completed in 1997, and this 16-mile highway connects the largest American military bases in Hawaii, the famous Pearl Harbor on the south and Marine Corps base to the east. This road connects strategic points to strengthen national defense.
8. Colorado T-REX Project – USA – $1.7 billion
Because of the big number of commuters, which is typical of the modern era, there was a requirement to improve the ways people travel to work. The T-REX (The Transportation Expansion Project) was started to connect Denver’s Interstate 25 and 225 areas to provide better transport quality.
Major interstate roads were widened in both directions and the highway extended by 19 miles in the metropolitan area.
7. Interstate 80, USA – $2.7 billion
Interstate 80 is one of the longest roads in America, connecting San Francisco and New Jersey. I-80 was originally completed in 1956, and since then is the backbone of the American transportation system. Its most recent large upgrade opened in 1986.
6. Marina Coastal Expressway, Singapore – $3.4 billion
Construction of this highway began in 2008, and it was finally completed in 2013.
The MCE is a part of the Singapore’s network of expressways, which is one of the biggest in the world. Approximately 3 miles in length, this is the first Singapore undersea expressway.
The opening ceremony was held on December 28, 2013, and included Senior Minister of State Mrs. Josephine Teo and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
5. Bar-Boljare Highway, Montenegro – $3.7 billion
Bar-Boljare Highway is the major construction project by the Ministry of Transportation and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro. The highway is incorporated in the international roads network of Europe, and it connects several countries of Central Europe. The length of this highway is 25.5 miles, including four lanes in both directions, with a speed limit of 100 km/h. 60% of the road are tunnels and bridges because of the rough Montenegrin terrain. That is the largest project ever in Montenegro.
4. Mon-Fayette Expressway, USA – $5.4 billion
The Mon-Fayette Expressway connects Interstate 68 with Interstate 376. It got its name combining the Monongahela River and Fayette County. The key purpose of the motorway is to connect coke- and steel-producing towns in this valley, making it vital for the local economy. This road is an alternative to Interstate 79 to the west and a significant part of our list of 10 Most Expensive Highways in the World.
3. Oresund Bridge, Sweden – $5.7 billion
Oresund Bridge is a combination of a four-lane road, bridge, and tunnel that connects Copenhagen and Malmo. E20, which is the international European route, passes through this bridge including the Oresund Railway Line. This road and rail bridge is one of a kind in the world, and in 2002, it received the Outstanding Structure Award.
2. Sochi Highway, Russia – $8.7 billion
Sochi was the organizer of the Winter Olympics in 2014, and the road was built for that occasion.
It was necessary to transport athletes from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana where the ski sports were held. The highways length is 31 miles and the cost was about $280 million per mile.
1. The Big Dig, USA – $14.8 billion
The Big Dig definitely deserves the name, and the winning place on our list of 10 most expensive highways in the world, considering the funds invested in this enormous project. Burrowing beneath Boston, it was one of the most challenging constructions of all time, and the constructors thought at first that $2.8 billion will be enough to finish the work. Finally, the total cost went up to $14.8 billion, making this highway the most expensive in history.
