when was the channel tunnel first thought of
Channel Tunnel Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link appeared as early as 1802,[10][11] but British political and press pressure over the compromising of national security stalled attempts to construct a tunnel.[12] An early attempt at building a Channel Tunnel was made in the late 19th century, on the English side "in the hope of forcing the hand of the English Government".[13] The eventual successful project, organised by Eurotunnel, began construction in 1988 and opened in 1994. At £5.5 billion (1985 prices),[14] it was at the time the most expensive construction project ever proposed. The cost finally came in at £9 billion ($21 billion), well over its predicted budget.[15][16]
Transatlantic tunnel The main barriers to constructing such a tunnel are cost with estimates of between $88 billion to $175 billion as well as the limits of current materials science.[2] Existing major tunnels, such as the Channel Tunnel, Seikan Tunnel and the Gotthard Base Tunnel, despite using less expensive technology than any yet proposed for the transatlantic tunnel, struggle financially.