Editing Bering Strait (section)

== Proposed crossing ==
{{Main|Bering Strait crossing|}}

A physical link between Asia and North America via the Bering Strait nearly became a reality in 1864 when a [[Russian-American telegraph]] company began preparations for an overland telegraph line connecting Europe and America via the east. It was abandoned when the undersea [[Atlantic Cable]] proved successful.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vevier |first=Charles |date=1959 |title=The Collins Overland Line and American Continentalism |journal=Pacific Historical Review |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=237–253 |doi=10.2307/3636469 |jstor=3636469}}</ref>

A further proposal for a bridge-and-tunnel link from eastern Russia to Alaska was made by French engineer [[Baron Loicq de Lobel]] in 1906. Czar Nicholas II of Russia issued an order authorising a Franco-American syndicate represented by de Lobel to begin work on the Trans-Siberian Alaska railroad project, but no physical work ever commenced.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC19060902.2.146.2 |title=San Francisco to St Petersburg by Rail! If the Tunnel is driven under Bering Strait will Orient meet Occident with Smile – or with Sword? |access-date=April 23, 2016 |date=September 2, 1906 |publisher=San Francisco Call}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/cihm_15518#page/n5/mode/2u |title=Thinking Big: Roads and Railroads to Siberia. |publisher=InterBering LLC |access-date=April 23, 2016 |year=1899 |isbn=9780665155185}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/cihm_15518#page/n5/mode/2u |title=Le Klondyke, l'Alaska, le Yukon et les Iles Aléoutienne |access-date=April 23, 2016 |author1=Loicq de Lobel |date=August 2, 1906 |publisher=Société Française d'Editions d'Art |isbn=9780665155185}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/08/02/120281773.pdf |title=FOR BERING STRAIT BRIDGE |access-date=April 23, 2016 |date=August 2, 1906 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Bering Strait Crossing: A 21st Century Frontier Between East and West |author1=James A. Oliver |date=2006}}</ref>

Suggestions have been made to construct a [[Bering Strait bridge]] between Alaska and Siberia. Despite the unprecedented engineering, political, and financial challenges, Russia green-lit a US$65-billion [[TKM-World Link]] tunnel project in August 2011. If completed, the {{convert|103|km|adj=on|||sp=us}} tunnel would be the world's longest.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]] |last=Halpin |first=Tony |date=August 20, 2011 |title=Russia plans $65bn tunnel to America}}</ref> China considered construction of a "China-Russia-Canada-America" railroad line that would include construction of a {{convert|200|km|mi|adj=mid|-long|sp=us}} underwater tunnel that would cross the Bering Strait.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Tharoor |first=Ishaan |date=May 9, 2014 |title=China may build an undersea train to America |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/ |access-date=May 14, 2014}}</ref>