There have been some truly amazing roads built over the years, but none are believed to be as expensive as the one being constructed on aFrench tropical island. Early estimates show it could cost around £233million per mile.
The island of Réunion sits thousands of miles from mainlandFrancein the Indian Ocean, yet it is still fully part of France and theEuropean Union. It uses the euro, has French laws and is treated the same as any other French region despite its remote location. For decades, drivers on Réunion had to rely on a coastal road that ran directly below steep cliffs.
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Rockfalls, landslides and violent storms regularly forced it to close, creating long delays and dangerous conditions.
After years of problems, officials decided the island needed a safer and more reliable route.
That decision led to the creation of the project now known as the Nouvelle Route du Littoral, or New Coastal Road.
Early estimates put the cost at around €2billion (£1.75billion) for just 12.5km (7.5 miles) of road. That works out at roughly £233million per mile.
There are some projections which suggest that the final cost may rise even further to €2.5billion (£2.2billion) by the time the project is completed.
The price is so high because large parts of the road are being built out in the ocean. Instead of hugging the coastline, the new route sits on huge viaducts and causeways designed to withstand waves, storms and strong cyclones.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
