Plans to build an underwater rail tunnel connecting Spain and Morocco through the Strait of Gibraltar have advanced to a new stage, as scientists embark on a crucial phase of seismic research.
The Spanish Society for the Study of Fixed Communications through the Strait of Gibraltar (Secegsa) will oversee the study, which aims to evaluate the seismic viability of the proposed tunnel route.
Four ocean-bottom seismometers will be installed along the planned route to gather data on seismic activity, with the Royal Observatory of the Navy (ROA) responsible for their monitoring.
This research follows a 2014 assessment that identified minimal seismic activity in the area, with previous studies recording only minor earthquakes of less than magnitude 3 on the Richter scale. The latest contract for the purchase and installation of the new seismometers is valued at €487,872.
The proposed tunnel, a joint project between Spain and Morocco, will span 42 kilometers and connect Tarifa, Spain, with Tangier, Morocco. It will run from Punta Paloma to Cape Malabata, a route chosen over an alternative due to the latter’s impractical depth of 900 meters. The selected route has a maximum depth of 300 meters.
The tunnel project will feature two single-track tunnels, each with a diameter of 7.9 meters, and a parallel service gallery with a diameter of 6 meters. Cross-passages will connect the tunnels every 340 meters.
Expected to cost €6 billion, the project is anticipated to bring significant economic benefits to the region. It will facilitate the movement of approximately 12.8 million passengers and 13 million tons of goods annually between Spain and Morocco.
This ambitious project represents a major milestone in Europe-Africa relations, promising to enhance transportation, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two continents.
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