This is a list of megaprojects within the transport sector. Take care in comparing the cost of projects from different times—even a few years apart—due to inflation; comparing nominal costs without taking this into account can be highly misleading. Note that inflation-calculated values are current as of 2023 [update] .
According to the Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management in 2017, "Megaprojects are large-scale, complex ventures that typically cost $1 billion or more, take many years to develop and build, involve multiple public and private stakeholders, are transformational, and impact millions of people". [1]
Project | Description | Country | Location | Est. cost (in billions USD) at or near time of completion | Est. cost (in billions USD), adjusted for inflation | Start of construction | Year of completion | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confederation Line | Rapid transit | ![]() | Ottawa | 5.1 [130] | 6 | 2013 [131] | Completed 2019 (stage 1) Expected 2026 (stage 2) | ![]() | $2.1 billion + $4.66 billion CA$ [130] |
Lusail Tram | Light rail | ![]() | Lusail | 2.7as of 2014 [update] [132] | 3.4 | 2016 | Completed 2022 (First part of orange line) Expected Unclear timeline for rest of lines/stations | ![]() | |
Hyderabad Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Hyderabad | 2.4 as of November 2017 [update] [133] | 2.9 | 2012 | Completed 2018 (First stretch) 2020 (Second stretch) Expected Unclear timeline for rest of lines/stations | ![]() | |
Trans-Sumatra Toll Road | Highway | ![]() | Sumatra | 33.2 [134] | 36.8 | Completed Several segments at varying times (2019-2022) Expected 2023, 2024 (Remaining segments) | ![]() | ||
K Line | Light rail | ![]() | Los Angeles | 2.1 [135] | 2.3 | 2014 | Completed 2022 (first section) Expected 2024 (rest of line) | ![]() | |
Skyline | Railway | ![]() | Oʻahu | 12.4 [136] | 13.8 | 2011 | Completed 2023 (Phase 1) Expected 2025 (Phase 2) 2031 (Phase 3) | ![]() | |
Sydney Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Sydney | 14.9 [137] | 15.8 | 2013 | Completed 2019 (Phase 1) Expected 2030 (remaining phases) | ![]() | AUD $20.5 billion (Stage 1 and 2) [137] |
El Insurgente | Commuter rail | ![]() | State of Mexico; Mexico City | 2.8 [138] | 3.2 | 2015 | Completed 2023 (Zinacantepec to Lerma) 2024 (Lerma to Santa Fe) Expected 2024 (Santa Fe to Observatorio) | ![]() | |
Kınalı-Balıkesir Motorway | Highway | ![]() | Tekirdağ to Balıkesir | 2 [139] | 2.5 | 2017 | Completed 2023 (Malkara-Lapseki) Expected 2024 (remaining phases) | ![]() | |
A-1 motorway | Highway | ![]() | ![]() | 3.7 [140] [141] | 3.8 | 2015 [142] | Completed 2023 (first 43 km section) Expected | ![]() | (2.77 billion €) |
Réseau express métropolitain | Light rail, Rapid transit | ![]() | Montreal | 5.5 [143] | 6.1 | 2018 | Completed 2023 (first segment) Expected | ![]() | 67 km of rails, 26 stations, automated light metro. Cost estimated in June 2021 to be CA$6.9 billion. |
Tel Aviv Light Rail | Light rail | ![]() | Tel Aviv | 5.8 [145] [146] | 6.4 | 2011 | Completed 2023 (Red Line) Expected | ![]() | NIS18.8 billion |
Project | Description | Country | Location | Approximate cost (in billions USD) | Start of construction | Planned year of completion | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silver Line | Commuter rail | ![]() | Dallas | 1.9 [147] | 2020 | 2025 | ![]() | Also known as the "Cotton Belt Line" |
Purple Line | Light rail | ![]() | Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. | 3.4 [148] | 2017 (halted in 2020); resumed in 2022 | 2027 [149] | ![]() | |
Red & Purple Modernization Phase One Project | Rapid transit | ![]() | Chicago | 2.1 [150] | 2019 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Thessaloniki Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Thessaloniki | 3.24 [151] | 2006 | 2024 [152] | ![]() | |
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link | Tunnel (undersea, rail/road) | ![]() ![]() | Fehmarn to Lolland | 8.75 [153] | 2019 [153] | 2028 [153] | ![]() | |
Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway | Railway | ![]() | From Lagos to Kano | 8.3 [154] [155] | 2011 | TBA | ![]() | |
Badagry Deep Sea Port | Seaport | ![]() | Badagry | 2.3 [156] | 2024 [157] | TBA | ||
Fourth Mainland Bridge | Bridge (road) | ![]() | Across the lagoon to connect Ikorodu and Lekki | 4.2 [158] | 2024 | TBA | ![]() | |
California High-Speed Rail | High-speed rail | ![]() | California | 80.3 [159] | 2015 | 2033 (Phase I) | Locations of planned California High-Speed Rail route. Phase I: black; Phase II: dark blue. (The separate Brightline West system is shown in light blue.) Route is approximate in some places. | |
China Pakistan Economic Corridor | Economic corridor | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 65 [160] | 2015 | 2030 | ![]() | |
Barcelona Metro line 9 | Rapid transit line | ![]() | Barcelona | 26.3 [161] | 2009 | 2027 [162] | | (€19bn) |
Santiago Metro Line 7 | Rapid transit line | ![]() | Santiago | 2.5 [163] | 2022 [164] | 2027 | ![]() | |
Cross River Rail | Commuter rail tunnel | ![]() | Brisbane | 4.7 [165] | 2017 | 2026 [165] | ![]() | AUD $6.3 billion |
Metro Tunnel | Commuter rail tunnel | ![]() | Melbourne | 9.46 [166] | 2018 | 2025 | ![]() | AUD $12.58 billion |
Suburban Rail Loop | Rapid transit | ![]() | Melbourne | 23.31-43.61 [167] | 2022 | 2035-2053 [a] | ![]() | AUD $31–58 billion |
NHDP/ Bharatmala | Highway upgrade | ![]() | ![]() | 207.6 (total) (NHDP: 53.2, 75.3 in 2023) [168] (Bharatmala: 132.4) [169] | 2000 | 2018: (NHDP) 2026: Bharatmala Phase I [170] Phase II was set to start in 2024, but now is uncertain [171] | (INR 4.5 trillion).This project was partially completed by 2018 and was then subsumed under the Bharatmala project. | |
Agua Negra Tunnel | Tunnel (road) | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1.5 [172] | 2018 | 2027 | ![]() | |
Fastracks | Light rail, Commuter rail | ![]() | Denver | 6.5 [173] | 2006 | 2044 | ![]() | |
City Rail Link | Commuter rail | ![]() | Auckland | 3.4 [174] | 2015 | 2025 | ![]() | (NZD$5.5bn) |
Line 5 Eglinton | Light rail | ![]() | Toronto | 10.26 [175] | 2010 | 2024 | ![]() | |
Grand Paris Express | Rapid transit | ![]() | Île-de-France (Paris region) | 48 [176] | 2016 | 2030 | ![]() | 4 new lines, 200 km, 72 new stations |
Scarborough Subway Extension | Rapid transit | ![]() | Toronto | 3 [177] | 2022 | 2029-2030 | ![]() | CA$3.982 billion, 3 stops, 7.8 km [178] |
Tehran-Shomal Freeway, 121 km | Highway | ![]() | Tehran Province and Mazandaran Province | 1.7 [179] | 1996 | 2024? (sections 1,2, & 4 are already complete) | ![]() | (HUF 452bn) |
Stuttgart 21 | Railway & Urban Development | ![]() | Stuttgart | 10.8 [180] | 2010 | 2025 | ![]() | €9.15 billion [180] |
Birmingham Northern Beltline (I-422) | Highway | ![]() | Birmingham, Alabama | 5.4 [181] | 2014 | 2047 | ![]() | |
Brenner Base Tunnel | Tunnel (rail) | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 11 [182] | 2008 | 2032 | ![]() | |
Koralm Tunnel | Tunnel (rail) | ![]() | Styria / Carinthia | 6.2 [183] | 2009 | 2026 | ![]() | (€5.4 bn) |
Semmering Base Tunnel | Tunnel (rail) | ![]() | Lower Austria / Styria | 4.6 [184] | 2012 | 2024 | ![]() | (€3.9 bn) |
Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor | High-Speed Rail | ![]() | From Ahmedabad to Mumbai | 20 [185] | 2019 | 2026 (partial), 2027 (complete) | ![]() | (₹1.6 lakh crore) |
Sagarmala | Seaport | ![]() | Coastal areas of India | 80.9 [186] | 2017 | 2035 | (₹6.5 lakh crore, only counting current projects) | |
High Speed 2 | High Speed Railway | ![]() | England | 106.4 [187] | 2017 [188] | 2033 | ![]() | 330 mi/530 km of High Speed track, [189] 5 stations and West Coast Mainline integration |
Northern Powerhouse Rail | Railway & Urban renewal | ![]() | England | 39 [190] | 2018 [191] | 2026 | ![]() | Links Liverpool, Sheffield, Kingston-upon-Hull & Newcastle-upon-Tyne to High Speed 2. |
Link light rail 2 Line | Light rail line | ![]() | Eastside King County, Washington | 3.7 [192] | 2016 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Bogotá Metro (line 1) | Rapid transit | ![]() | Bogotá | 4.5 [193] | 2020 | 2028 | ![]() | |
Brussels Metro line 3 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Brussels | 1.86 [194] | 2020 [195] | 2030 | ![]() | |
Chūō Shinkansen | High-speed rail, Maglev | ![]() | ![]() | 64.35 [196] as of May 2021 [update] | 2014 | Unknown [197] | ||
Tel Aviv Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Tel Aviv metro area | 39.4 [198] | 2025 | 2032 | ![]() | |
Panama Metro Line 3 | Rapid transit line (monorail) | ![]() | Panama City | 2.7154 [199] | 2021 | 2025 | ![]() | The Panamanian balboa is tied to the United States dollar. |
Millennium Line Broadway Extension ("Broadway Subway Project") | Rapid transit | ![]() | Vancouver | 2.35 [200] | 2021 [200] | 2026 [201] | ![]() | Cost estimated in May 2021 to be 2,830,000,000 Canadian dollars; in roughly May 2021, that was roughly equivalent to 2,350,000,000 United States dollars. |
Penn Station Access | Commuter rail | ![]() | New York City and Westchester County, New York | 2.87 [202] | 2022 | 2027 | ![]() | |
South Coast Rail | Commuter rail | ![]() | Southeastern Massachusetts | 3.42 [203] | 2019 [204] | 2030 | ![]() | |
Trillium Line Expansion | Light rail | ![]() | Ottawa | 3.5 [205] | 2019 | 2024 | 4.72 billion CAD | |
Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway | High-speed rail | ![]() | ![]() | 4.65 [206] | 2020 | 2026 | ![]() | 179 billion baht as of October 2022 [update] |
Oslo Metro Line T6 | Rapid transit line | ![]() | Oslo and Bærum | 1.6 [207] | 2020 | 2027 | ![]() | Cost is as of January 2017 [update] |
Lima Metro Line 2 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Lima | 5.8 [208] | 2014 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Line 4 (Athens Metro) | Rapid transit | ![]() | Athens | 1.9 | 2021 | 2029-30 | ![]() | €1.6 billion [209] |
Cairo Metro Line 3, Phase 3 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Cairo | 2.6 [210] | 2023 (last extensions) | ![]() | Entire Line 3 costs more | |
São Paulo Metro, Line 6 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Greater São Paulo | 2.6 [211] | Resumed in 2020 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Toulouse Metro, Line C | Rapid transit | ![]() | Toulouse Métropole | 3.65 [212] | 2022 | 2028 | ![]() | €3.4 billion as of February 7, 2023 |
Abidjan Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Abidjan | 1.46 [213] | 2022 | 2025 | ![]() | €1.36 billion as of December 20, 2022 |
Ho Chi Minh City Metro, Line 1 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Ho Chi Minh City | 2.5 [214] | 2012 | 2023 [214] | ![]() | |
Vienna U-Bahn, U2xU5 Project | Rapid transit | ![]() | Vienna | 2.5 [215] | 2018 [216] | 2030 | ![]() | |
Riyadh Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Riyadh | 22.5 as of July 2013 [update] [217] | 2014 | 2024 | ![]() | There were disputes regarding at least $1 billion in 2022; as of January 2023 [update] , it is unclear if/how that affected the overall cost. [218] |
Xiong'an–Xinzhou high-speed railway | High-speed rail | ![]() | Xiong'an–Xinzhou | 8.86 [219] | 2022 | 2027 | ![]() | |
Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway | Railway | ![]() | Tanzania | At least 7.6 [220] | 2017 | Unclear (does vary based on phase) | ![]() | |
Portal Bridge replacement | Bridge (rail) | ![]() | New Jersey | 1.5 [221] | 2022 | 2025 (first line of track) [222] | ![]() | |
Rogfast | Tunnel (road) | ![]() | Rogaland | 2.91 [223] | 2018 (paused 2019; unclear if/when resumed, but it is still expected to be constructed) | 2033 | ![]() | |
Gordie Howe International Bridge | Bridge (road) | ![]() ![]() | Detroit to Windsor, Ontario | 5.4 [224] | 2018 | 2025 | ![]() | |
D Line Extension | Rapid transit | ![]() | Greater Los Angeles | 9.5 [225] | 2014 (Section 1) 2018 (Section 2) 2021 (Section 3) | 2027 (final section: Section 3) [225] | ![]() | |
Belgrade Metro | Rapid transit | ![]() | Belgrade | 5.35 [226] | 2021 | 2028 | ![]() | |
Ontario Line | Rapid transit | ![]() | Toronto | 7.3-8.7 [227] | 2022 | 2031 | ![]() | 16 km, 15 stop line with at-grade, elevated and underground sections operated with driverless trains. [228] |
São Paulo Metro Line 2 extension | Rapid transit | ![]() | São Paulo | 1.4 [229] | 2020 | 2026 | ![]() | |
Valley Metro Rail: South Central Extension | Light rail | ![]() | Phoenix, Arizona | 1.35 [230] | 2019 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Hamburg U5 | Rapid transit | ![]() | Hamburg | 1.75 [231] | 2022 | 2030 | ![]() | |
Project Connect | Public transit [b] | ![]() | Austin, Texas | 10.3 for the light rail components; unclear for the rest [232] | 2021 | Unclear | ![]() | Measure approved by Austin voters. Construction of at least one bus rapid transit corridor has begun; light rail construction has not begun. |
Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel Expansion Project | Bridge–tunnel (road) | ![]() | Hampton Roads (Virginia) | 3.9 [233] | 2020 | 2025 | ![]() | |
Frederick Douglass Tunnel | Tunnel (rail) | ![]() | Baltimore | 6 [234] | 2023 | 2033 | ![]() | Replacement for old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel) |
Brightline West | High-speed rail | ![]() | California and Nevada | 12 [235] | 2024 | 2028 | ||
Gateway Program | Rail improvements, including bridges and tunnels | ![]() | New York City to New Jersey (Hudson River) | 16.1 [236] | 2023 [237] | 2035 [237] |
Project | Description | Country | Location | Status (suspended or abandoned) | Approximate cost (in billions USD) and year of cost estimate | Start of construction | Year suspended | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northern Latitudinal Railway | Railway | ![]() | Labytnangi (Obskaya) - Korotchaevo | Suspended | 3.03 (2018) [238] | 2018 | 2022 |
Project | Description | Location | Approximate cost (in billions USD) | Proposed start of construction | Proposed year of completion | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Great Istanbul Tunnel | Railway, Undersea tunnel | ![]() | 3.5 [239] | TBD | TBD | After Marmaray and Eurasia Tunnel's, it will be the third tunnel to connect Istanbul's sides. |
Arctic Railway | Railway | ![]() ![]() | 3.43 [240] | TBD | TBD | A connecting line between Kirkenes port and the Finnish railway network. |
Bridge of the Horns | Bridge (rail/road) | ![]() ![]() | 20 | TBD | TBD | A bridge across the Red Sea. |
Crossrail 2 | Railway, Commuter rail, Rapid transit | ![]() | 49.4 in 2014 money [241] | 2023 | 2030s[ citation needed ] | A new railway line in England, serving London, Surrey & Hertfordshire to interlink with Crossrail (above). |
Helsinki City Rail Loop | Commuter Rail | ![]() | 1.77 [242] | TBD | TBD | An underground rail loop in Helsinki. |
Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel | Railway, Undersea tunnel | ![]() ![]() | 17.74 [243] | TBD | TBD | |
Irish Sea Bridge | Bridge (rail/road) | ![]() | 20.55 [244] | TBD | TBD | A proposed bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland, supported by the Johnson ministry. [245] |
Lentorata | Railway tunnel | ![]() | 6.5 [246] | 2030 | TBD | An airport rail link for Helsinki Airport. |
Malacca Strait Bridge | Bridge (road) | ![]() ![]() | 14 [247] | TBD | TBD | A proposed 48 kilometer bridge over the Strait of Malacca. |
MetroLink (Dublin) | Rapid transit | ![]() | 9.83 [248] | 2025 | 2031-2034 | |
Saudi–Egypt Causeway | Causeway | ![]() ![]() | 4 | TBD | TBD | |
Strait of Messina Bridge | Bridge (rail/road) | ![]() | 6.6 | TBD | TBD | |
Sunda Strait Bridge | Bridge (rail/road) | ![]() | 18.87 [249] | TBD | TBD | The project has been indefinitely postponed. [250] |
Singapore Strait crossing | Tunnel (undersea) | ![]() ![]() | TBD | TBD | TBD | A proposed tunnel between Singapore and Indonesia. |
Qatar–Bahrain Causeway | Causeway | ![]() ![]() | 5 | TBD | TBD | |
Texas Central Railway | High-speed rail | ![]() | 5.9 | TBD | TBD | Would operate between Dallas and Houston, with a stop in the Brazos Valley region |
LinkUS | Rapid transit | ![]() | 8 [251] | 2024 | 2030 | Cost includes three rapid-transit corridors set to open by 2030, and two more by 2050. [251] [252] |
Second Avenue Subway, Phase 2 | Rapid transit | ![]() | 6.39 [253] | TBD | TBD | Project was moved to the engineering stage in January 2022. [254] |
Interborough Express | Light rail | ![]() | 5.5 [255] (in 2027 dollars) [256] | TBD | TBD | New light rail line, built largely along existing tracks, connecting Brooklyn and Queens. Still in planning stages. |
Rio de Janeiro Light Rail Expansion | Light rail | ![]() | 3 [257] | 2023 | 2025 (at least first sections) | Would add 145.5 km (90.4 mi) to existing light rail network |
Bagamoyo Port | Seaport | ![]() | 10 [258] | 2023 | ||
Valparaíso–Santiago rail replacement | Railway | ![]() | 1.32 [259] | 2025 | 2030 | |
D2 Subway | Light rail | ![]() | 1.7-1.9 [260] | TBD | 2028 | |
City Centre–Mangere Line | Light rail | ![]() | 8.7 [261] | TBD | TBD | In the detailed planning phase. Would connect Auckland Airport to the CBD, terminating at Wynyard Quarter |
Work performed as part of the $2.1 billion RPM Phase One project will make commuting better for all CTA riders with improved service and modern rail stations that are fully accessible to people with disabilities.