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Morocco and Spain are moving forward with plans for a major underwater tunnel beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, with estimated costs ranging between €7.5 billion and €10 billion. The project aims to link Africa and Europe through a railway line dedicated to transporting passengers and goods.
The tunnel would run between Punta Paloma, near Tarifa in Spain, and Malabata, near Tangier, spanning 42 kilometers, including 27.7 kilometers under the seabed at depths of up to 475 meters. The design includes three parallel tunnels: two for rail traffic and a third for services and emergency access, with no provision for private vehicles at this stage.
According to Spanish experts, the project faces significant technical challenges, particularly at the Camarinal Still, a complex underwater geological zone separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea. The area is marked by strong currents and unstable terrain, complicating drilling and construction.
Despite these constraints, Spain’s company for cross-strait studies, SECEGSA, maintains that the crossing is technically feasible. The plan includes two single-track railway tunnels, a central service and safety tunnel, and emergency cross-passages every 340 meters.
Safety measures also include a secure stopping area at the deepest point of the tunnel, equipped with intervention zones and smoke extraction systems.
The project gained momentum in 2024 when Spain’s INECO commissioned a technical study, carried out by the German firm Herrenknecht, a specialist in tunnel-boring technology.
Current estimates suggest that the initial phase, excavation of an exploratory tunnel, could take between six and nine years, making the project unlikely to become operational before 2035.
