VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #1091 1571149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061149Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3940
INFO RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 1764
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 5523
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 4021
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8909
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4232
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3196

UNCLAS RABAT 001091 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND EB/TRA 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ANESA NATE MASON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELTN EINV ECON MO
SUBJECT: TUNNELING UNDER: LINKING EUROPE AND AFRICA ACROSS 
THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR 
 
REF: RABAT 1029 
 
¶1.  For decades, the governments of Morocco and Spain have 
been contemplating a way to connect Europe and Africa 
through a permanent land link across the Strait of 
Gibraltar.  After a series of feasibility studies spanning 
more than a quarter century, a mixed Spanish-Moroccan 
commission determined that an undersea train tunnel similar 
to the France-England Chunnel would be the most practical 
option.  Studies found that a suspension bridge would be 
four times as costly, could interfere with navigation in the 
strait, and would be harmful to migrating sea life. 
 
¶2.  The chosen route would link Paloma Point near Tarifa in 
Spain with the Moroccan Malabata Point, just east of 
Tangier, through a 37-km train tunnel.  This route crosses 
the shallowest section of the strait, with a maximum depth 
of 300 meters.  It is not feasible to run the tunnel between 
the two closest points of land - Cap Sires in Morocco and 
Punta Canales in Spain, a mere 14 km apart - because the 
ocean depth at that point reaches 900 meters. 
 
¶3.  The tunnel is expected to cost $5 billion and will be 
financed by Spain, Morocco and the EU, with the possible 
eventual participation by private enterprises.  The two 
countries intend to launch a tender in 2007 or 2008 and 
complete the works in 2020.  Trains would transport 
passengers, vehicles, and cargo between the two terminals in 
30 minutes.  The annual traffic capacity of the tunnel will 
be 1.6 million cars, 500,000 trucks, five million vehicle 
passengers and 11 million rail passengers. 
 
¶4.  COMMENT:  Given the high volume of illicit traffic in 
persons and narcotics flowing between Morocco and Spain, 
legitimate concerns exist regarding the wisdom of 
facilitating the flow by tunneling under the strait. 
Spanish diplomats in Rabat seem unconcerned, but other 
European diplomats have privately expressed their skepticism 
to Emboffs regarding the wisdom of creating such a link. 
Either way, completion of the project is a long way off, and 
circumstances are like to change significantly in the 
meantime. 
 
RILEY