Page 101 - Built Expressions - Online Construction Magazine - November 2014 Issue

For the frst time in history, Great Britain and France were zenfs.com connected. 50km long 38km under the sea 750 ft long and weighed over 15,000 tons frst estimated at $3.6 billion but it reached over budget at $15 billion Channel Tunnel was frst seriously considered 200 years back. 10 contractors called TransManche Link, together with fve banks, making 15 founder shareholders who put up the initial equity of £47 million. Awarded by the British and French governments to Eurotunnel in 1986. A Long History and France. Contenders were given mutually benefcial. The governments The frst idea for a Channel Tunnel 6 months to submit an incredibly realized although the project would was conceived in 1802; tunneling detailed set of plans. There were create much needed jobs, neither was actually begun in 1882 but was three or four serious contenders and country’s government could fund such soon abandoned. In 1974, a mile of the Eurotunnel proposal was chosen a massive project. Thus they decided tunnel was completed before the in January 1986 probably because it to hold a contest. governments abandoned the project was technologically the simplest and This contest invited companies again because of increasing cost fnancially the most robust. to submit their plans to create a link estimates. In 1985, French and British In 1984 French president Francois across the English Channel. As part Governments issued an invitation to Mitterrand and British Prime Minister of the contest’s requirements the submit proposals for a fxed link not Margaret Thatcher jointly agreed a link submitting company was to provide a necessarily a tunnel between England across the English Channel would be plan to raise the needed funds to build Vol: 3 Issue: 11 November 2014 Built Expressions PG101