All structural elements for the Linkage are fabricated at dry docks. Because of the big volume of works, besides two docks on Diomede Island, similar docks should be created at both shores of Bering Strait.
The hollow dams with the underwater tunnel between them are set on a wide support, which extends throughout the strait. A bridge structure acts as such support, it plays the role of foundation for transport structures. The top part of the “bridge” fastened to metal columns of different heights, which are placed in two rows, and mounted on specially prepared places of rocky sea bed. The different height of the columns allows evening upper surface of that long support. Unlike a conventional bridge, its surface, being even, is not flat, as it has a form of a grid with extra large cells. It is obviously, all metal structures are protected from corrosion. Design of the support has to prevent oscillations of the dams and the underwater tunnel to be installed on it, as well as their floating.
Construction of the transport corridor of Bering link should start from the middle of the strait. At first the underwater tunnel is mounted, and then transitional blocks joined to the tunnel from both sides. These blocks connect the tunnel with two lower levels of the hollow dams. Following this, mounting of both two dams begin in the direction of the appropriate shores.
Both dams have the same design, and consist of, mainly, the same standard elements of two sorts. One kind of blocks provides traffic along two lower levels of the hollow dams, and another kind is designed for two higher levels of the dams. As mentioned above, its upper part is located above the water level.
For protection of the dams from ship collisions, there are created sea zones with the navigation bad there. Four such zones locate nearby both sides of two dams. There will be organised graveyards of ships. It is advisable protecting of the dams with American and Russian coast guards (each of them keeps the zones in own maritime area) and using anti-ship mines, during the period the graveyards to be creating.
In the area where the sea is ice-covered or ice can be expected for about 8 months of the year (traffic is rare outside this time) it would be sufficient to build the bridge 800 feet long (243.84 metres) with a height span of 100 feet (30.48 metres). An arched concrete bridge which requires less attention and expense in the period of its use is recommended here.
The design of the passage proposed here, allows piecemeal construction of the Linkage. During the first period both hollow dams and the underwater tunnel could be constructed. In this case the train and vehicle traffic on the two lower levels could begin immediately. The second part of the strait link would consist of constructing the parallel bridge and then traffic on the two upper levels could begin.
On the basis of the plan in the previous chapter, it would be reasonable to divide the strait link into two stages.
For the first stage, as is practised in the construction of railways, it would be necessary to lay an auxiliary road as well as a three track railroad beginning from the village Pashkovo (on the Amur river to Naukan) at Cape Dezhnev. Likewise to connect a three track railroad from Duffield, Alberta at the point where the dam E sits on the Alaskan shore. (I use the name of the nearest settlement, which is Wales) Both segments of the three-track railway should be constructed with the track gauge of 1435 mm which is used in China, Canada and the US. This track gauge provides a quick attachment at both ends of the railway network of China, Canada, the US respectively, within the framework of the two additional projects. As mentioned above, these two projects could have their own investors, but their completion has to be synchronised with the ending of the trunk-line Pashkovo to Duffield so all those projects can begin to generate income. It becomes clear from information given earlier that the three-track railroad is reserved for future freight traffic between these countries. As you will see shortly, two railways with a track of 1524 mm will be constructed within the first stage.
At the same time as the trunk-line construction, a passage from China across the Amur River should be built. Besides the construction of a multi-lane bridge near Pashkovo, there is an alternative design of an overpass for a railroad and highway based on a hydroelectric dam. However, for this to happen an HPP would need to be erected.
Construction of the railroad with the Russian gauge 1524 mm would start from the moment the auxiliary road reaches the village Oudskie, Khabarovskiy Krai. Eventually there will be four railroads from this point in all directions, in accordance with the Russian standard. With regard to the railway to be designed westward I will cover that in the next chapter. Within the framework of the Strait link project, a double track northward to Duffield should be constructed and a single track southward built to intersect with the Trans Siberian Railway. There would be a 1524 mm, 20 km, double track railway from this intersection to Pashkovo and further on to China. In the framework already mentioned for additional projects there would be a 1524 mm double tracked railway from Duffield, through Canada and the US to the Mexican border. The same 1524 mm double track rail would cross China to the border with Vietnam. Instead of constructing new roads and a 1524 mm track in Canadian, American and Chinese territories there would simply be a refurbishment of 1435 mm tracks to 1524 mm of little used tracks that already exist there. Nowadays many railroads are not in use at all as a result of the development
of road transport. In the future, railroads throughout the world might be used as passenger trains as well as cargo since their width might provide more comfort for passenger travel. So train travellers from America or China may travel to Europe now that the European Union is thinking about to link the Russian gauge to Paris.
Of the four railroads that start in Oudskoie, the first to be built should be a single track rail and a road to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. This is both a river and a sea port. A plant should be created here where large reservoirs would be filled with compressed gas to meet the needs of the objects of the Russian segment of the joining. For the additional project to link Japan with the trunk-line of Asia to North America, two crossings are planned. One across La Perouse Strait is located between the Japanese Island of Hokkaido and the Russian Island Sakhalin with a length of about 45 km and the other three times shorter. The passageway between Sakhalin and Nikolaevsk-on-Amur should be constructed by Russia and the Russian government is already planning to do this. During construction of these two crossings there should be a double tracked railway along Sakhalin Island and a second track from Nikolaevsk-on-Amur to Oudskoie. Most likely all the works between La Perouse Strait and Oudskoie will be provided by Russia herself as it is needed for internal links.
It would be advisable to continue the 1524 mm railroad into Japanese Hokkaido and possibly to the central part of Japan. In this case, goods and passengers from Japan could travel to America and Europe without transhipment. Cargo would then also be delivered between North America, Europe and China without transhipment.
Hence, it is proposed to construct five railway lines at the first part of the joining; three of them to have the gauge 1435 mm and two 1524 mm. The proposal includes a dual lane road for vehicles. The lower, or first level of the hollow dams to cross Bering Strait, carries three railroads and one lane of the highway. There would be two railroads on the second level of the dams as well as another lane of the highway. The lowest, or zero level of the dams which is placed on the rocky bottom of the strait is intended for alignment of transport levels.
The highest or fourth level of the dams is located above sea level. There is one railway and a one lane road here. Depending on customer requirements a third level could accommodate two or three railways. These rails should lead to Oudskoie. Possibly a further 1435 mm rail line should run southward from the village and it will be necessary to lay a double tracked 1524 mm railway in the direction of Europe. Obviously, an auxiliary road for vehicles will be needed here.
Those who draw a connection between North America and Asia on large scale maps may not realise that the path would be through mountains and large Siberian rivers (flowing from south to north) gradually expanding on their way to the Arctic Ocean. A railroad from Oudskoie towards Europe might be placed over the town Neryungri, to cross the Lena River at its riverhead and skirting the potent Angara River. There is only one mighty river along this route – the Yenisei. The Ob River is not wide in the town Kolpashkevo area. It would be best to cross the Ural ridge near Tyoplaya Gora, and then link to the Trans Siberian railway at Kungur station, which is located between Perm city and Yekaterinburg city. The village Oudskoie is also a good choice due to the plan to bring the railway from Japan to this point. Then, cargo and passengers could move by land between Europe and Japan using the shortest route to date.
The proposed project called the Joining differs from other projects by its economic realism. This project may become cost effective after completion of the first stage.
With the availability of sufficient investment funds, or even with their abundance available in the today’s world, the project of the Joining has great importance. It is the vastest made to date and provides the opportunity of obtaining a high and stable long term income. There is huge potential for development as a business project.
Finally, this project offers a central theme to the New Epoch now begun. The creation of such structures may advance humanity in its spiritual evolution. It is a movement toward a world without war in which nations, peoples, cultures, and the everyday man aspire to co-operate. The trunk line from Asia to North America is a powerful symbol of such co-operation.