The Nicaragua Canal? Possibly ...

Jason P

Nicaragua has approved plans for a mysterious Hong Kong-based company to build an estimated $40 billion canal across the middle of the country, Luis Manuel Galeano and Michael Weissenstein of The Associated Press report.

The waterway, which would have to be roughly three times as long as the 50-mile Panama Canal, would be one of the largest infrastructure projects ever.

The plan has some serious detractors: Environmentalists say it would devastate Lake Nicaragua, the country's primary source of fresh water, while shipping experts say that it may be an economically unfeasible power play by China.

....

http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-building-a-nicaragua-canal-2013-6

Jason P

Apparantly Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America.

My first thought is why would they would want to turn a fresh water lake into a salt water ... then I figured those that approved the plans have 40 billion reasons.

Looks like the lake is super polluted as it stands. :(

lukin2006

Has any kind of business plan been done to see if it's even feasible? Wonder what/if the savings vs maybe the extra time it would take to cross this canal as opposed to the panama canal.

Took a cruise through the panama canal and the cruise ship had a guest lecturer and he touched on the nicaraguan canal and the panama canal expansion ... he's a Panamanian who spoke at the town hall meetings that were held about the Panama Canal expansion and expressed his opposition to it due it's cost (5 billion I believe), basically putting all your eggs in 1 basket and from global warming possibly/probably opening up shipping routes in the north with would means zero fees to shipping company. The Panama Canal is not cheap to cross.

Drowned Out

I read a bunch of articles about a power struggle between China and Taiwan over influence in Central and South America today after reading this article.....this sounds like a political manoeuvre.....
I shudder to think how destructive this project would be. Ive spent some time in Panama and have checked out the construction of the current canal expansion - it's amazing how much earth (and all the life it supports) they're moving down there....and I've fished Gatun Lake a couple times - the huge man-made lake that feeds some of the canal locks ...its eery to float above a rainforest, topped just below the waterline....the odd old mahogany tree still rising out of the water..... A project of that scope in Nicaragua would be beyond devastating to the environment.

Jason P

The project has been approved (no word yet if FIFA was involved with the bidding and approval process).

The 9th largest lake in the Americas is about to go bye-bye.

businessinsider.com/r-nicaragua-approves-route-for-40-billion-canal-linking-oceans-2014-07

lukin2006

Doesn't seem like a sure thing and still many years away.