Could there really be a road to Russia? Someday there will be, if the president of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, has his way.

Yakunin’s idea for a trans-Siberian superhighway would connect Russia’s eastern border with Alaska over a short stretch of the Bering Sea. The Trans-Eurasian Belt Development (TEPR) plan has the massive highway running alongside the existing Trans-Siberian Railway.

Obviously, this would be a tremendous undertaking, costing trillions of dollars, involving many governing bodies and requiring many years. There are many other obstacles, too. The plan does not specify exactly how the waterway would be crossed. There would also be issues regarding Alaska’s road system, including Nome’s lack of connection. As cool as the concept sounds, I wouldn’t start planning a road trip. A trip from London to New York would cover almost 13,000 miles. A trip from London to Alaska would cover about 8,000 miles.

I’m always up for a fun road trip, but those numbers are mind-blowing. All hurdles aside, this is an interesting concept. We have the technology now to do things thought impossible not so long ago. Whether this works or not, forward-thinking minds will continue to create ways to bring the world closer.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor