China revives plan for $42bn sea tunnel

China plans to spend US$42 billion (RMB260 billion) to construct a long-delayed tunnel under the Bohai Strait, connecting the mainland’s eastern and northeastern regions, Reuters reported, citing a report in state media Thursday. The tunnel will span 76.4 miles, overtaking Japan’s 33.6-mile Seikan tunnel, currently the world’s longest. China’s tunnel will connect Yantai city in the eastern province of Shandong to Dalian city in northeastern Liaoning. A completion date wasn’t specified. China initially announced US$10 billion plans in 1994 to build the tunnel, to be completed in 2010. According to the report, the 1994 initiative never went beyond the planning stages.