NYC to LONDON by WHEELS?!

What if U.S. citizens could drive...to Asia? A new proposal from Russia would see the country connected to the U.S. by Highway Bridge as part of a massive superhighway crossing the length of Russia, ultimately linking New York and London.

Called the Trans-Eurasian Belt Development (TEPR). The ambitious project was proposed by Russian Railways head Vladimir Yakunin earlier this month. The route would include some pre-existing roads to reach London and New York, but would still require thousands of miles of tarmac across the width of Russia. This would be laid alongside the existing Trans-Siberian Railway—the longest railway in the world.

Connecting the North American and Eurasian continents would also be complicated. The highway would have to span a minimum 55-mile distance between mainland Russia and Alaska, and continue on through the isolated state's wilderness.  About 520 miles separates the closet settlement to Russia—Nome—from the nearest major city, Fairbanks. From there, drivers could connect to an existing road network to Canada and the Lower 48 states.

It is estimated that a driver from London to New York via the TEPR would encompass 12,910 miles. Hopefully the Russian authorities will build plenty of rest stops along the way.

Aside from its grueling length, there's also the question of how this huge project will be funded. The TEPR would reportedly cost "trillions of dollars," but Yakunin is apparently a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and could potentially use that influence to get the project rolling.

While we wouldn't start planning that road trip just yet, this might be one to watch if you absolutely can't stand flying. And better yet, there's also talk of a high-speed rail light along the same path.

Here's our rough interpretation of the route. It's not clear how cars are going to hop across the Bering Strait, but it could be via a ludicrously long bridge or perhaps through a great big tunnel under the sea:

Alongside the train track and road, pipelines for oil and gas and new electricity and water supply lines would be put in place. The network would total around 12,400 miles. The aim is to link Asia with Europe as it would run from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Cities most people haven't heard of, such as Yeketerinburg and Irkutsk, would be joined up as a result of the plan.

The road would follow a similar path to the Trans-Siberian railway — but would stretch even further, crossing the Bering Strait to Alaska. It remains unclear what the US would think about that....

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/