Projects that cost more than US$1 billion and attract a large amount of public attention because of substantial impacts on communities, the natural and built environment, and budgets.
Projects with "initiatives that are physical, very expensive, and public".[1]
Some examples include bridges, tunnels, highways, railways, hospitals, airports, seaports, power plants, dams, wastewater projects, Special Economic Zones (SEZ), oil and natural gas extraction projects, public buildings, information technology systems, aerospace projects, and weapons systems. This list identifies a wide variety of examples of major historic and contemporary projects that meet one or both megaproject criteria identified above.
Legend
Terms used in the Status column
Status color
Proposed
In Planning, Approved, Under/In Development, Under Construction, Re-Construction In Progress, Nearly Complete
This was the longest and heaviest aircraft in service until it was destroyed during the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Only one unit was ever completed.
With six decades of service as a strategic nuclear bomber, it is one of the largest military aircraft ever built. Every other bomber produced in the US after the B-52 have been megaprojects; however, it has not been replaced nor will it be in the foreseeable future.
Initiated in 1963 via a US government-funded competition to build the United States' first Supersonic Transport (SST), prototypes never built, ultimately canceled due to political, environmental and economic reasons in 1971.
A product of an Anglo-French government treaty, the supersonic passenger airliner Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued commercial flights for twenty-seven years.
An all-weather, high altitude supersonic bomber with a fixed delta wing and 4 engines. The Hustler was operational from 1960 to 1970 in the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command for the deployment of up to 5 gravity nuclear weapons.
The largest and heaviest aircraft of any kind for over a decade (1970 to 1982). This military cargo plane was the first development program with a billion dollar cost overrun.
A US heavy bomber with "low observable" stealth. Total program cost including development, engineering, and testing averaged $2.1billion per aircraft in 1997.
A supersonic bomber with a variable-sweep wing built in the 1980s as a strategic bomber. It has since acquired conventional and multi-role capabilities.
Electricity infrastructure project planned to include the world's largest solar plant, the world's largest battery, and the world's longest submarine power cable.
The plant never opened due to political change and safety issues, and its planned reactivation has become the focal point of the Anti-nuclear movement in the Philippines.
The world's first construction attempt of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle plant with Carbon Capture & Sequestration. However, after significant delays and cost overruns, the gasification process is currently suspended and the power plant runs just on regular natural gas.
The project planned to construct some of the first new nuclear units in the United States in over 30 years at an existing nuclear power plant. The project was cancelled and all work stopped in July 2017.
Inactive series of Soviet robotic lunar rovers designed to land on the Moon. Lunokhod 1 was the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on another world.
Venus series space probes developed to gather data from Venus. Venera 7 became the first spacecraft to land on Venus and first to transmit data from there back to Earth.
The world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It was originally built by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s as the base of operations for the Soviet space program.
Every Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup in the latter part of the twentieth century and entering into the 21st century has cost more than $1 billion in arenas, hotels etc., usually several billions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world's foremost international sporting event with over 200 nations participating. Sports-related costs for the Summer Games since 1960 is on average $5.2 billion (USD) and for the Winter Games $393.1 million dollars. The highest recorded total cost was the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, costing approximately US$55 billion. The International Olympic Committee requires a minimum of 40,000 hotel rooms available for visiting spectators and an Olympic Village that is able to house 15,000 athletes, referees, and officials.
Renovation and expansion of Seattle's main indoor arena for the Seattle Kraken, which started NHL play in the rebuilt venue in 2021. The originally planned cost of $700 million was increased due to changes to the arena plans and COVID-19 issues. A very small part of the total cost was to pay for another major arena tenant, the Seattle Storm of the WNBA, to move its home games to other area venues during the project. The arena will also be suitable for a potential NBA franchise in the city.
100,000-seat football stadium intended to be the future home of Guangzhou F.C. of the Chinese Super League. Construction began in April 2020 and cancelled in 2022 due Evergrande's financial difficulties. Construction recontinued in 2023.
Ground transportation systems like roads, tunnels, bridges, terminals, railways, and mass transit systems are often megaprojects. Numerous large airports and terminals used for airborne passenger and cargo transportation are built as megaprojects.
The fourth mainland bridge will join three other bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland. The 38km (24mi) bridge and expressway will become the longest bridge and expressway in the world when completed.
This 2,733km (1,698mi)standard gauge railway has three planned routes: Abuja to Kaduna, Lagos and Ibadan, and Lagos to Kano. The first two lines opened in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Upon completion of the third terminal, passenger handling capacity of the airport will increase to 20 million from the current 8 million per annum. Cargo handling capacity will also increase to 500,000 from 200,000 tonnes annually.
Investments will be spread across the 1,500km (930mi) long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which will serve as the industrial corridor's transportation backbone.
This airport aims to decongest the load of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi by serving 120 million passengers per year over eight runways. The airport is expected to expand in three phases over 30 years and will be one of the world's largest airports upon completion. Phase 1 will be completed in 2024.
Revival of the Karachi Circular Railway, which became operational in 1969 and closed in 1999 due to mismanagement. The project includes 23 stations, 3 lines and more than 50km (31mi) of track.
This programme aims to deliver more than 800km (500mi) of new or upgraded roads and more than 200 interchanges in Qatar. It is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. One of the motivating factors was the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Tuas Port will be able to handle 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, almost double the 36.9 million TEUs that Singapore handled in 2020.
The project consists of four high-speed rail corridors: one international corridor, which will be a part of the Kunming–Singapore Railway project after completion.
The purpose of the project is to connect nine European Corridors. The Trans-European conventional rail network is part of the EU megaproject to help alleviate and assist in the transport of goods throughout the 27 EU member states.
Proposed after German Reunification, this is a set of major construction projects meant to increase and improve transport links between East and West Germany.
The purpose of the project is to create a 35-station underground rapid transit system in Greece's second-largest city. Construction has been delayed due to the Greek financial crisis.
A total of 106km (66mi) of high-speed railways were built as a bypass to the existing conventional mountainous railway line linking Thessaloniki with Athens, including 35.5km (22.1mi) of tunnels and 6.8km (4.2mi) of bridges.
The highway is 40.871km (25.396mi) long ad tunnels and bridges make up about 60% of the entire route. The first section between Podgorica and Mateševo opened in July 2022.
The purpose of the project is to replace all ferry links along the route with fixed connections to reduce travel time from 21 hours to 11 hours. Construction is uncertain and each project will be evaluated separately.
It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), with a total length of 12.3km (7.6mi), including 0.8km (0.50mi) for the main bridge and 11.5km (7.1mi) in viaducts.
Part of the Belgrade-Bar motorway. The second section is the most expensive section of the entire motorway due to unfavourable terrain, requiring the construction of many tunnels and bridges.
This would make Great Morava and South Morava accessible to boats from Thessaloniki and make Morava and Vardar navigable rivers, and clean them for passage of boats. China has a vested interest in building the canal.[why?]
CREATE is a railway improvement program consisting of 70 projects, including the construction of grade separations, overpasses, and other rail projects.
This project will widen the current four-lane segments to eight lanes along nearly 10mi (16km) of the I-64 corridor from Hampton to Norfolk, Virginia with new twin tunnels.
Phase 1, which covers Terminals 1, 4, 6, and 8, is expected to be completed by 2026. The redevelopment project aims to rebuild passenger facilities and approaches to the airport.
A public-private partnership between Norfolk Southern (NS), the Federal Government, and the various state governments impacted by the 2,500mi (4,000km) corridor. Project involved construction of 4 new intermodal terminals, expansion of several other NS railyards, and double-tracking and siding improvements at strategic locations along the corridor.
The project involved reconstructing the Kennedy Interchange, the completion of two new Ohio River bridges and the reconstruction of ramps on Interstate 65. The final project omitted some features of the original plan.
Public transit expansion including the construction of two new light rail lines, a new commuter rail line, and a bus rapid transmit line. The project has undergone several cuts since its passing in 2020.
Phase 1 included the creation of a new line through Tysons which opened in 2014. Phase 2 expanded this line to Dulles International Airport and beyond, and opened in 2022.
The East and North sections, the two main ones, are planned to form a single 60km (37mi), fully-automated orbital metro line through the middle suburbs. Construction began on SRL East in 2022.
This planned city is being built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. Upon completion, the project anticipates at least 250,000 residents and an additional daily flow of 150,000 commuters.
Phase 1 was completed and is currently in use. Other phases of the project include areas for free-trade zones, an airport, and a seaport. The completed city is expected to accommodate more than 3.4 million residents with an influx of 1.9 million commuters.
While the project has been long proposed, it has never materialized due to environmental concerns, especially the threat to mangroves, and objections from the Sindh Government.
Originally intended to be the largest leisure development in the world, Dubailand faced financial trouble during the 2007-2008 crisis. Plans have been scaled down since.
Expansion of the city with the creation of six new neighborhoods: Los cerros, Ensanche de Vallecas, Valdecarros, El Cañaveral, Los Berrocales, and El Ahijones. These additions expect to create 145,637 homes.
Large-scale Fordelectric vehicle complex that will include a vehicle assembly plant, a battery plant, supplier facilities, and battery recycling operations.
This project includes creating six mega-ports, modernising existing ports, developing the 14 Coastal Economic Zones and Units, and enhancing port connectivity.
An under-construction, multi-purpose, concrete-faced, rock-filled dam, which will generate 740 MW of hydroelectricity, irrigate 15,100 acres of land and control floods downstream.
Bechtel Corporation is an American engineering, procurement, construction, and project management company founded in San Francisco, California in 1898, and headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2022, the Engineering News-Record ranked Bechtel as the second largest construction company in the United States, following Turner Construction.
The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.
Google LLC is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial intelligence (AI). It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world" by the BBC and is one of the world's most valuable brands due to its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the field of AI. Alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc. is one of the five Big Tech companies.
The Purple Line is a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) light rail line being built to link several Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.: Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. Currently slated to open in late 2027, the line will also enable riders to move between the Maryland branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines of the Washington Metro without riding into central Washington, and between all three lines of the MARC commuter rail system. The project is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), an agency of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and not the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metro.
The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, India. Operated by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) – a joint venture between the Government of India and the State Government of Tamil Nadu, the network consists of two lines and spans 54.1 km (33.6 mi). The system uses standard gauge and has 41 underground and elevated stations.
The Hyderabad Metro is a rapid transit system, serving the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is the third longest operational metro network in India after Delhi Metro and Namma Metro (Bengaluru), and the lines are arranged in a secant model. It is funded by a public–private partnership (PPP), with the state government holding a minority equity stake. Hyderabad Metro is the world's largest elevated Metro Rail system based on DBFOT basis. A special purpose vehicle company, L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd (L&TMRHL), was established by the construction company Larsen & Toubro to develop the Hyderabad metro rail project.
The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi and the wider Kochi Metropolitan Region in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro project is the first metro system in the country which connects rail, road and water transport facilities. It is also the first metro rail system in India to be operated using the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which requires minimum human intervention. The Kochi Water Metro is integrated with the Kochi Metro, which also serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.
The Lucknow Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The metro is owned and operated by the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC). The frequency of the metro's services is around 5 - 7 minutes.
Ahmedabad Metro is a rapid transit system for the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat state of India. Currently the network is 58.66 km (36.450 mi) long and has 39 stations.
The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system that serves Delhi and the adjoining satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, Bahadurgarh, and Ballabhgarh in the National Capital Region of India. The system consists of 10 colour-coded lines serving 257 stations, with a total length of 353 kilometres (219 mi). It is India's largest and busiest metro rail system and the second-oldest, after the Kolkata Metro. The metro has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks. The metro makes over 4,300 trips daily.
Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR) or Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR is an under-construction high-speed rail line, which will connect Mumbai, the financial hub of India, with Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat. When completed, it will be India's first high-speed rail line, with a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Rapid Metro Gurgaon is a light metro system serving the city of Gurgaon, Haryana, India. Rapid Metro connects the commercial areas of Gurgaon, and acts as a feeder link to the Delhi Metro with an interchange with its Yellow Line at Sikanderpur metro station.
The Doha Metro is a rapid transit system in the Doha Metropolitan Area of Qatar's capital city Doha, which became operational on 8 May 2019. It has three lines with an approximate overall length of 76 km (47 mi) and 37 stations. It is an integral component of the larger Qatar Rail network, which will include a long-distance rail for passengers and freight, linking Qatar to the GCC, and the Lusail LRT. Capable of reaching 100 km/h (62 mph), the Doha Metro has one of the fastest driverless trains in the world.
Sydney Metro is a fully automated rapid transit rail system in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It currently consists of the Metro North West & Bankstown Line, running between Tallawong and Sydenham and consisting of 21 stations on 52 km (32 mi) of twin tracks, mostly underground. The first stage of the line opened on 26 May 2019, running between Tallawong and Chatswood. This line was extended from Chatswood to Sydenham on 19 August 2024 as part of the first stage of the City & Southwest project. The second stage of the project will then further extend this line to Bankstown as part of a partial conversion of the existing Bankstown railway line with a scheduled completion in 2025.
Penn Station Access (PSA) is a public works project underway by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. The goal of the project is to allow Metro-North Railroad commuter trains to access Penn Station on Manhattan's West Side, using existing trackage owned by Amtrak. Metro-North trains currently terminate exclusively at Grand Central in Midtown Manhattan.
Sydney Metro City & Southwest is a 30-kilometre (19 mi) rapid transit construction project in Sydney, Australia. The project will extend the Metro North West & Bankstown Line from Chatswood on the North Shore, to Bankstown in the city's southwest via the Sydney central business district. The line is part of the Sydney Metro system. Its first phase, Sydney Metro City, opened on 19 August 2024.
↑ Sutter, Joe; Spenser, Jay (1 May 2007). 747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation. Collins. ISBN978-0-06-088242-6.
↑ Norris, G.; Thomas, G.; Wagner, M. & Forbes Smith, C. (2005). Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Flying Redefined. Aerospace Technical Publications International. ISBN0-9752341-2-9.
↑ Irving, Clive. Wide Body: The Triumph of the 747. New York: W. Morrow, 1993. ISBN0-688-09902-5, pp. 189–190.
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