The history is reviewed on research and preparation of the channel tunnel. A description is given of studies carried out in recent years, concluding with some comments on the implications, for the engineering profession, of the financing by private means of a project which had been thought to be of such magnitude that it had to be accomplished on a governmental basis. Valid routes have been delineated for either a bored tunnel that would be embedded in the lower chalk, or an immersed tube laid in a trench dredged in the sea bed. The decision as to the type of construction may depend upon the terms and conditions submitted by contractors. Twenty-four hour service will be available, with trains departing every five or ten minutes during peak periods. Costs of the tunnel are reviewed.
Abstract