Shanghai Disneyland is slated to cost more than 5 billion dollars, and is one of the
most expensive mega-projects in construction.
But its price tag makes up only a tiny fraction of some of the world’s costliest constructions.
So, what are some of the most expensive mega projects ever?
For the past few decades, the Gulf states have gained a reputation for huge construction
efforts.
With revenue from the largest oil reserves in the middle east, Saudi Arabia is currently
in the process of building the tallest skyscraper in the world.
The Kingdom Tower is expected to cost an incredible 1.2 billion dollars.
But that pales in comparison to the King Abdullah Economic City.
This 70 square mile metropolis was the idea of Saudi Arabia’s former king, and is estimated
to cost as much as 100 billion dollars.
The ambitious project is part of an ongoing effort by Saudi Arabia to create a non-oil
based industry, designed to encourage foreign investment.
As many as two million residents are expected to fill the Washington DC sized megacity when
the project is completed in 2035.
So what could be more expensive than a 21st century city?
How about a 500-ton space station operated by the world’s superpowers?
The International Space Station is managed by America, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe
and was originally launched in 1998.
Over the past 17 years, the station has racked up a cost of about $150 billion dollars.
It is considered the most expensive single item ever constructed.
And, remember, it has been continuously assembled while flying through SPACE.
That’s not cheap.
That being said, the ISS is not even close to the most expensive project ever.
While the international community came together to make up the space station’s price tag,
only the United States contributed to its colossal mega-project: the United States Interstate
Highway System.
No endeavor has come close to rivaling the half a trillion dollars spent on America’s
roads.
Since its implementation by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, it has spanned nearly
50,000 total miles.
Only China has a slightly longer highway system, constructed for about half the cost of the
US’s.
As with any huge federal expenditure, the highways were primarily built with military
defense in mind.
In 1954, Eisenhower argued for the project to combat "the appalling inadequacies to meet
the demands of catastrophe or defense, should an atomic war come."
Most ultra-expensive projects tend to be focused on important societal improvements or innovations.
As collaborations between countries increase, we’ll expect to see even more expensive
projects in the future.
China might have some expensive projects up their sleeves, but they haven’t been the
best at ensuring building safety recently.
To learn more about China’s history of infrastructure disasters, watch our video.
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