Tunnel Construction Costs for Tube Transportation Systems

Abstract

Tube tunnel systems for transporting freight in cities may provide an attractive solution to congestion problems. A feasibility study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration examined the cost of building networks of tube tunnels with different network densities for a variety of freight sizes ranging from packets to standard containers. In this context, costs for tunneling, relocating utilities, and building access shafts in urban environments were determined. This paper briefly reviews the application of freight tube transportation systems. It concentrates on the cost data and the methodology by which the cost of tunneling networks is determined, since this information is of general interest and can be applied to similar projects. The cost calculated for a variety of tube network scenarios in actual city environments illustrates the applicability of the methodology and also indicates the potential viability of tube tunnel networks.