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. Thanks for checking out TestTube News! Don’t forget to like

and subscribe to our channel. We’ll see you next time!