Sunken airport: Experts' desperate efforts to save the construction that cost billions (video)

The situation at Kansai International Airport is a stark reminder of the complexities and unpredictable challenges in developing modern infrastructure, especially when dealing with the unpredictable forces of nature.

Kansai International Airport, a major hub located off its coast JapanA city near Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe is facing a difficult situation She dives. This critical infrastructure, which has been in service for nearly three decades, facilitates million passengers Annually, he is now at the center of a pressing and complex artistic dilemma.

Genesis International airport Kansai has its roots in its need Japan To promote trade in the Kansai region, which was lagging behind Tokyo. Because the existing airport was restricted by suburban encroachment and local noise complaints, it was decided to build a new facility. Innovative solution? Construction of an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

Construction of this island began in 1987 and in 1994 Kansai International Airport was opened. This engineering feat initially demonstrated resilience, surviving natural disasters such as the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 and a typhoon in 1998 without major damage. However, there was a troubling issue bubbling beneath the surface.

Initially, forecasts indicated a subsidence period of 50 years before the island stabilized at a safe level of 13 meters above sea level. However, according to the Smithsonian Institution, the airport reached these “safe” levels of subsidence within a few years, much faster than expected. This accelerated landing poses a significant risk to the structural integrity and operational capacity of the airport.

While experts race against time to address the problem, experts are closely monitoring the airport's situation. Airport, value 15 billion euros, is not just an economic asset, but a symbol of Japan's innovative spirit and engineering prowess. .