Would You Take a Drive from Utica, NY to London, England?

Imagine getting in your car and being able to drive to London. The head of Russian Railways is trying to make this possible with a major highway project that would connect New York all the way to Europe.

I'm not talking about a bridge being built over the Atlantic Ocean - even if that was ever done, I don't think I would feel comfortable driving more than 3,500 miles over an ocean! But a new plan has been proposed by the President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, for a major highway system that would run from London through Western Europe, across the whole length of Russia, and into Alaska.

The roadway system would still have to cross water though, to connect Russia to Alaska, which is separated by the Bering Strait. The plan suggests the highway would connect a little north of Nome, Alaska. Unfortunately, the proposal didn't offer details on how this connection is planning on being made (whether bridges would be built, or a tunnel, or anything).

Another dilemma would be connecting Nome, Alaska to the closest big city in that state. There is more than 500 miles that separate Nome to the next roadways in Alaska, which would be Fairbanks.

The rest of the way wouldn't be a problem. Fairbanks, Alaska has roadways to link through Canada, and back into the United States.

Even if the proposal gets passed and this huge highway system ends up being built, it would be SUCH a long drive from here to London! This is just a rough look at the distance and time it would take (trust me, it's a REALLY rough estimate, between using mapquest, looking up distances, and some roads don't exist yet...):

• Driving from Utica, NY to Fairbanks, AK is about 4,253 miles (about a 71 hour drive)

• As of right now there are no roads to connect Fairbanks, AK to Nome, AK - but the distance is about 520 miles (so driving at 55 mph, it would take about 9 and a half hours)

• Nome, AK to the Bering Strait is approximately 130 miles (driving at 55 mph again, it would take about 2 hours and 20 minutes)

• The Bering Strait is about 55 miles long (an hour drive)

• Then to drive from where the Bering Strait meets in Russia - Cape Dezhnev to Moscow, Russia is a rough estimate of 4,484 miles (and a 81 and a half hour drive)

• Finally, from Moscow, Russia to London is about 1,796 miles (about a 35 and a half hour drive)

If you were traveling the whole way from Utica to London, it would take you approximately 200 hours to drive! That's more than a week of straight driving!

Although I think the huge highway system that could connect Europe, Russia, The US, and Canada is a great idea, I think if you want to visit London it would be a million times faster (and easier) to just fly.

[H/T: Motor Authority]