Empty Promises: The Failure of Mega Projects Worldwide
Mega projects are often viewed as ambitious feats of engineering and architecture that showcase the potential of human ingenuity. However, not all mega projects are created equal. Some are doomed to fail from the start, while others end up being nothing more than white elephants. In this blog post, we will take a look at 5 Useless Mega Projects in the World that have been plagued by controversy, cost overruns, and lack of practicality. From a never-used airport in Spain to a nuclear waste repository in Nevada, these projects serve as cautionary tales of what can happen when grand plans go awry.
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5. Wasted Billions: The Failure of Interstate H-3
Interstate H-3 in Hawaii is a 26-kilometer long highway that passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. However, the construction of this highway was met with resistance and controversy. The highway was first proposed in 1960 for defense reasons, to connect the Pearl Harbor Naval Base to the Marine Corps Air Station. Environmental groups and native Hawaiians were concerned about the urbanization the project would bring and environmental laws delayed construction indefinitely. 26 years later, the environmental hurdles were removed and construction finally began in 1989.
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The highway was opened in 1997 and is considered an engineering marvel due to the difficult terrain and advanced technologies used in its construction. Despite its beauty, the highway has been criticized for being a “road to nowhere” as it has no direct route to downtown Honolulu and for destroying culturally significant sites for native Hawaiians. The cost of construction was 1.3 billion dollars, making it the most expensive cost per kilometer in the world.
the construction of the Interstate H-3 in Hawaii also faced significant challenges and controversies. The highway was proposed for defense reasons, but it was met with resistance from environmental groups and native Hawaiians who were concerned about the urbanization the project would bring. Despite the beautiful and advanced technology used in its construction, the highway has been criticized for being a “road to nowhere” and for destroying culturally significant sites for native Hawaiians.
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4. Abandoned Dreams: The Story of Ciudad Real Central Airport
Ciudad Real Central Airport in Spain was conceived as an alternative to the heavily overcrowded main airport in Madrid. The airport was expected to serve 2 million passengers a year and expansion plans were in motion to boost the capacity to 10 million annually. However, when it became operational in 2009, the airport faced many problems, including its remote location 200 kilometers away from Madrid and lack of major airlines.
Within the first year of opening, the airport had accumulated a 350 million dollar debt and went into receivership in 2012. It was put up for auction in 2013 and popularized as an abandoned location by a British TV show in 2014. The airport was finally sold in 2019 and repurposed as a storage facility for grounded planes during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the future of the airport remains uncertain as the return of normal flight operations is uncertain. Despite the billion-dollar investment, this megaproject remains effectively useless for passengers around the world.
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Despite its initial promise and grand vision, the Ciudad Real Central Airport has become a cautionary tale of the risks and pitfalls of large-scale infrastructure projects. The airport was built in the wrong location, far from the major population center it was supposed to serve, and had no major airlines to attract passengers. The bankruptcy and receivership of the company behind the project were a clear indication of the failure of the project. In the end, the airport was only able to find a new purpose as a storage facility for grounded planes during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this too is uncertain as the return of normal flight operations is uncertain.
3. Myanmar’s Ghost City: The Failure of Naypyidaw
Naypyidaw, Myanmar is the capital of Myanmar, which was built from scratch by the former military leadership in secret in 2002. The reasons for this sudden shift of capital were not clear, but it had to do with the fact that the former capital Yangon was reaching its infrastructural limits and its population was set to double by 2050. The new project was built swiftly and to this date, the successive governments have poured 4 billion dollars into the city.
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However, the city is currently home to less than a million residents and is often referred to as a Ghost Town. The 20-lane highway is practically empty and the city’s airport handles very few passengers. The shopping malls and hotel lobbies are mostly empty. Despite this, the city was built as a city of the future and still has time for an inevitable redemption.
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2. Malaysia’s Unfinished Metropolis: The Forest City Disaster
A green, smart, and futuristic city called Forest City, Malaysia, would grow from reclaimed ground on four manmade islands. The metropolis will be situated close to the sovereign city-state of Singapore and will be developed around an artificial forest ecosystem. Numerous environmentally friendly technologies are incorporated into the city’s design, including vertical gardens and buildings with green rooftops that simulate a jungle. But the city has had to overcome several political and economic obstacles that have slowed its development.
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Chinese citizens essentially enjoyed a free pass to the city during the first few years of building because the project is primarily sponsored by China. Rich Chinese investors raced to Forest City as a result since they could not afford the skyrocketing rates of flats in their own nation. An outcry was raised when a change in leadership resulted in a prohibition on foreigners owning property in the city.
The epidemic and the global travel prohibitions were the next significant setback. Since the commencement of the coronavirus pandemic, some salespeople have claimed that fewer than 10 homes have been sold at Forest City, and the project has remained in flux. The megaproject Forest City is currently one of the Useless Mega Projects in the World despite the billions of dollars invested.
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1. Nevada’s Nuclear Nightmare: The Yucca Mountain Repository
The issue of nuclear waste disposal has long been a sensitive and pressing one for the global community. The dangers of nuclear waste, if not stored properly, are well-documented and can be catastrophic. In an effort to find a permanent solution to this growing problem, the United States government set out in the 1980s to identify a suitable location for a deep underground repository for nuclear waste.
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After much consideration and research, the authorities identified Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the best available option. The mountain is located near the USA’s most used nuclear testing site, is far from any population centers, and is made up of volcanic ash formed millions of years ago, which allows it to absorb any radioactive waste without crumbling or cracking.
On paper, Yucca Mountain seemed like the perfect location for a nuclear waste repository. However, the plan was met with fierce opposition from Nevadans who argued that they should not be the only state in the country to bear the burden of nuclear waste storage. Furthermore, questions were raised over the official hydrological and geological surveys of the mountain, with opponents believing that the site posed a risk of contaminating a nearby water source that flows into Amargosa Valley and is used by Native Americans who have lived in the area for centuries.
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The Department of Energy resumed construction after the project was approved in 2002 despite resistance. Even yet, Nevada continued to oppose the project, and by the time Barack Obama took office, it had become extremely politicised. The Obama government discontinued funding the project in 2010 after determining it was unfeasible. Even if a federal court ordered its restart three years later, little has changed since. Yucca Mountain is no longer considered to be a part of the country’s strategy, according to the Biden administration.
After decades of planning, legal troubles, and over $17 billion dollars in funding, the Yucca Mountain project remains a “useless” megaproject that has never been used. The issue of nuclear waste disposal is a complex and sensitive one, and it is clear that there is no easy solution. However, it is important that any future plans take into account the concerns and well-being of local communities, as well as the potential environmental impacts.
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Conclusion on these 5 Useless Mega Projects in the World:
These 5 Useless Mega Projects in the World serve as a reminder of the importance of careful planning and realistic assessments of costs and benefits. They also highlight the need for transparency and public input in the decision-making process. While some of these projects may have had noble intentions, they ultimately failed to deliver on their promises. As we look to the future and consider new mega projects, it’s crucial that we learn from the mistakes of the past in order to avoid similar failures.