Updates to the long-awaited project linking Spain and Morocco suggest that the dream of an undersea tunnel across the Strait of Gibraltar is now within technological reach. The German firm Herrenknecht, a global leader in tunnel-boring technology, has completed a feasibility study confirming that the infrastructure, while highly complex, is technically achievable. Commissioned by Spain's Secegsa (Sociedad Española de Estudios para la Comunicación Fija a través del Estrecho de Gibraltar) under the Ministry of Transport, the report marks a milestone for a project studied for over fifty years. According to Vozpópuli on Wednesday, the Spanish government has had the report since June and is now preparing the groundwork for a tender beyond June 2026, when the 2007 preliminary project is set for revision. Both Spain and Morocco are expected to make a final decision in 2027 regarding the construction of an initial exploratory tunnel, the newspaper added. Meanwhile, delegations from Secegsa and Morocco's SNED (Société Nationale d'Etudes du Détroit) recently visited Norway to study the Rogfast Tunnel, the world's deepest project of its kind, while ongoing seismic and seabed studies are being conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey. Herrenknecht's findings show that modern engineering capabilities can support the tunnel's development, noting major technological advances since the early 2000s but warning of significant logistical and financial challenges. The German firm estimates six to nine years for the exploratory phase, with about 40 of the 65 kilometers of the tunnel lying under Spanish territory between Vejer de la Frontera and Tarifa, connected to the Cádiz–Seville rail line. The total budget for Spain's section exceeds €8.5 billion, part of which could come from the European Union, the newspaper suggests. However, it reveals that while some hope for visible progress by 2030, experts consider 2035–2040 a more realistic timeframe. First conceived in the 19th century and formalized under a 1979 bilateral agreement, the Spain–Morocco tunnel project has been revived several times. After years of dormancy, it regained traction under Pedro Sanchez's government, with new allocations exceeding €2 million from EU Recovery Funds, rekindling hopes that the long-envisioned Madrid–Rabat rail link may finally move from concept to construction.
