Yzabelle Bostyn
THE Spain-Morocco tunnel could turn into reality as Spanish Development Minister, Oscar Puente, says Spain ‘wants to play an important role’.
The tunnel, due to take passengers under the Gibraltar strait to Africa, was first suggested over 30 years ago.
According to Puente, ‘plenty’ of Spanish businesses want to invest in the project, which could provide a much needed push.
He also suggested that Morocco’s state railway network construct the 170 trains needed for the service.
So far, not enough research has been done to develop the project and neither Spain nor Morocco have invested sufficient funds.
The shortest route, at just 14.4km, would be from Punta de Oliveros in Tarifa to Islote Punta Cires.
However, strong currents in this area of the water make it impossible to build the tunnel.
Another option is the Playa de Punta Paloma, near Cadiz, to Malataba, near Tangier.
This route would be much longer, at 38km, making this option much more expensive.
In 2021, the project received €2.3 million from the Spanish Recuperation and Resilience Plan, funded by the EU.
Just a year later, Spain granted a further €750,000 to the project to promote research into the tunnel.
The government granted the same amount in 2023 but it is yet to be seen if the project will receive similar investment this year.
READ MORE:
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- High-speed underwater tunnel between Spain and Morocco back on the cards as Madrid orders new feasibility report
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