Did you know that there is a capital city
that was built for millions of people but remains practically empty? And that the U.S. wasted $17 billion for a
megaproject that was never even used and remains completely useless till this day? Today, we will explore 5 of the most useless
megaprojects in the world. Before we continue, make sure to like this
video and subscribe to Top Luxury. Share your thoughts about these megaprojects
in the comments below! Number 5: Interstate H-3, Hawaii Let's start with a breathtakingly scenic highway
in the Aloha state – Hawaii. The 26-kilometer long Interstate H-3 passes
through one of the most stunning landscapes in the world. It is so stunning that there were genuine
concerns of motorists stopping and creating traffic hazards. However, the highway is as controversial as
it is beautiful. It was first proposed in 1960 with defense
considerations in mind as the highway would connect the Pearl Harbor Naval Base on the
south side to the Marine Corps Air Station on the east coast. The announcement of its construction was immediately
met with resistance from environmental groups as well as native Hawaiians who were worried
about the massive urbanization the project would bring. Environmental laws of the time and a change
of route to protect the surrounding valleys delayed the plans indefinitely. 26 years later, the environmental hurdles
were removed when the congress exempted the project from environmental laws and cleared
the way for construction to finally begin in 1989. The highway was finally opened in 1997, almost
37 years after it was originally proposed. Interstate H-3 is often considered an engineering
marvel because of the difficult terrain it is built on and the advanced technologies
used in its construction. In addition to the numerous high-tech tunnels,
the highway runs almost exclusively over viaducts to protect the local environment in the valleys
below. Decades of delays, route changes, and newer
but more expensive technologies meant that it was completed five times over the original
estimated budget. The total cost of construction was 1.3 billion
dollars – which is about 50 million dollars per kilometer - the most expensive cost per
kilometer in the world. Despite the enormous budget, this beautiful
highway isn't useful for everyone. Critics believe that it's a "road to nowhere"
because the defense considerations of the 60s are no longer relevant and the highway
has no direct route to downtown Honolulu. Then there's the case of Native Hawaiians,
a majority of whom refuse to use the H-3 to this day. They consider it to be "cursed" as many religiously
significant cultural sites were destroyed during its completion. The interstate H-3 highway is certainly an
achievement as far as Megaprojects go, However, for certain native groups, it remains "Useless". At least, it isn't completely abandoned like
the next project on our list. Number 4: Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain Spain is one of the prime travel destinations
in Europe and that was a key consideration when the idea for Ciudad Real Central Airport
was conceived. It was tipped to be the go-to destination
for holiday travelers within Spain, as well as international visitors. The vision for this new airport was to make
it an alternative to the already heavily overcrowded main airport in Madrid. The new airport had one of the top five longest
runways in Europe and could serve 2 million passengers a year. That's a relatively low number compared to
Madrid's 70 million passenger capacity. However, expansion plans were already in motion
to boost the capacity up to 10 million annually. So when it finally became operational in 2009,
the 1.3 billion dollar expense might have seemed justified. However, all these plans came to a grinding
halt in 2012 when the company behind the project filed for bankruptcy. The problems began with the location of the
project. While it was called the Central Airport, it
wasn't central in any way as it was located 200 kilometers away from Madrid. This compounded problems as most of the passengers
avoided traveling for hours to get to the remote location and most big airlines preferred
to carry out flight operations from the capital. So within the first year of opening, the newly
built airport was reduced to a single small-time airline. With no major airlines to attract passengers,
the airport had accumulated a 350 million dollar debt by 2012. Unsurprisingly, it went into receivership
and was put up for auction in 2013. The airport was even popularized as an abandoned
location by the hit British TV show Top Gear in 2014. After multiple auctions fell through, including
an outrageous $12,000 offer, the airport was finally sold to new owners in 2019. As businesses crashed and profits dwindled
during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ciudad Real Airport got a lifeline. With little hope of passengers returning,
the new owners reinvented the airport as a home for grounded planes given its dry climate,
long runway, and spaciousness. By August 2020, there were 65 airplanes parked
on the airport with expansions underway to provide a storage facility for over 300 aircraft. This new storage approach gave the airport
a much-needed business opportunity. However, all the stored planes will eventually
be gone once the pandemic is finally over and the return of normal flight operations
remains elusive. This billion-dollar megaproject remains effectively
useless, for passengers around the world. Number 3: Naypyidaw, Myanmar Next up is another megaproject that made it
to Top Gear. However, this isn't just a remote airport,
it's the capital of Myanmar– a new capital that was built from scratch. Myanmar's former military leadership started
building a new capital in secret in 2002. The shifting of a country's Capital isn't
unheard of as many countries including Brazil, Egypt and Pakistan have done so in the past. In November 2005, Myanmar's leaders announced
his decision to the public but he kept the name of the new capital a secret. It was four months later when he finally revealed
the name: Naypyidaw - which literally means "The King's Residence". The reasons for this sudden shift of capital
weren't clear. Some speculated that the military leadership
was fearful of an attack from the sea while others thought it was shifted on the advice
of astrologers. However, a lot of it had to do with the former
capital Yangon. Yangon is home to 7 million people, the city
is said to have reached its infrastructural limits and its population is set to double
by 2050. Moreover, the coastal city was established
as the capital during British rule to benefit the British Navy. So, it made sense for Myanmar to shift the
capital to a more central location. The new project was built swiftly and to this
date, the successive governments have poured 4 billion dollars into the city. Naypyidaw seemingly has everything to attract
visitors: a 20-lane highway, over 100 luxury hotels divided into three hotel districts,
golf courses, museums, and even a 99-meter tall replica of a landmark originally situated
in Yangon. But there's one essential component that remains
missing: The Population. The new capital is home to less than a million
residents, most of which reside in the suburbs that were present even before the city became
the Capital. But why does no one want to live there? A lingering gap in health facilities, lack
of quality educational institutes, and economic opportunities mean that most of the population
is reluctant to make the city a permanent home. So the city often paints the picture of a
deserted place and is often referred to as a Ghost Town. The incredible 20-lane highway is practically
empty. Traffic congestion is unheard of and at times
a single automobile is caught drifting along the tremendous road. The city has an airport that can handle 3.5
million passengers every year, but on a busy day, a dozen people will actually use it. The shopping malls are visited only by the
diplomatic staff on weekends, while the hotel lobbies are mostly empty. Despite the apparent barrenness, there's a
silver lining for the "Royal Capital". It's built as a city of the future and with
the exploding population, Naypyidaw still has time for an inevitable redemption. For now, it's arguably the world's strangest
capital and remains useless for much of the country's population. Number 2: Forest City, Malaysia We talked of an apparent ghost city, and next
on our list is a green futuristic smart city that would rise from reclaimed land on four
artificial islands and will be built around an artificial forest ecosystem. Forest City's location makes it an appealing
bet for investors who are aiming to profit from its proximity to the independent city-state
of Singapore. Singapore has the world's 2nd busiest port
and a thriving economy. The developers have already linked Forest
City with Singapore through the second link bridge, shortening the distance between the
cities to just 20 minutes. Forest City will also have its own customs
facility, enabling residents to move freely to Singapore and back. The design is advertised to incorporate many
green innovations. Forest City will feature buildings with green
rooftops and vertical gardens, providing a jungle experience. City streets will have a multiple-layered
design with the lower layer for traffic and parking spaces while the upper layer will
feature parks, sports facilities, and transport hubs. The city will be powered exclusively with
renewable energy and will be completed by 2035 at a cost of 100 billion dollars. One of the four proposed islands is close
to completion with 50 apartment buildings, golf courses, swimming pools, and beaches
on board. However, it's not all smooth sailing for this
highly ambitious project. A multitude of economic and political hurdles
are already hindering its progress. The project is being funded mainly through
China and Chinese residents virtually had a free pass to the city in the first few years
of its construction. As a consequence, wealthy Chinese investors
who couldn't afford the soaring prices of apartments in their own country rushed to
Forest City. By 2019, 80% of the property owners were Chinese. Even the street signs were in Mandarin and
the few schools that opened in the area were offering Mandarin courses. The native Malaysians simply can't afford
to buy these apartments as the property prices are set with only the Chinese markets in mind. This influx of Chinese investors caused a
public outcry with opponents of the project calling it a new form of colonialism. So after a change of leadership, the returning
Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad banned foreigners from owning property in the forest city. Many foreigners started leaving the city and
new investors were discouraged. The next major setback came in the form of
the pandemic and the worldwide travel bans. Malaysia's movement control order meant that
no new investors could move in. Lots of existing investors opted out of the
project due to the uncertainty. So by the start of 2020, less than 500 people
were actually living in the residential developments which is not a lot considering that Forest
City is designed for 700,000 people. The project has remained in flux ever since
with some salespeople claiming that fewer than 10 homes were sold at Forest city since
the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, Country Garden laid off more than
1000 of its Malaysian workers in the past year signaling the epic downturn in the project's
fortunes. Forest City was probably too ambitious to
begin with, too futuristic to truly achieve and is too politically challenged to succeed
anytime soon. It is safe to assume that despite the billions
invested, Forest City is currently a useless megaproject. Number 1: Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository We'll conclude this list with a megaproject
that was planned in view of a sensitive global issue. Nuclear waste isn't talked about as much as
other environmental problems. However, if not stored properly, it can be
deadlier than anything ever witnessed since the advent of civilization. As of now, nuclear waste is stored aboveground
near the power plants where it came from. However, the scientific community agrees that
the safest, permanent disposal solution is to store this hazardous waste deep underground. In the 1980s, the U.S authorities set about
finding a permanent solution to this growing waste problem. In 1987, Yucca Mountain in Nevada was identified
as the best available option. It was close to the USA's most used nuclear
testing site and was away from any population centers. The plan was to deposit the waste from all
over the country in a tunnel complex about 300 meters under Yucca Mountain. In addition to the isolated location, Yucca
Mountain is made up of volcanic ash formed millions of years ago. It allows the Yucca mountain to absorb any
radioactive waste without crumbling or cracking. Yucca mountain seemed like a great location
for a repository on paper but Nevadans were having none of it. The United States has over 100 operational
and closed nuclear reactor sites in 34 states, but none of them were in Nevada. So the Congressional representatives and the
general public vigorously opposed the idea of being the only nuclear dumping site of
the whole country. Furthermore, question marks were raised over
the official hydrological and geological surveys of the Yucca mountain. Opponents believed that the site was unsuitable
for a repository as it runs the risk of contaminating a nearby water source. The water source flows into Amargosa Valley
and is used by Native Americans who have lived in the area for centuries. Despite the opposition, the project won approval
in 2002 and the Department of Energy resumed construction. However, Nevada's opposition only grew stronger. They contended that routine exposures during
transportation will stigmatize Nevada's residents and affect tourism in the state. For the opposition, the only reason Nevada
was getting the repository was because of its lower population and a smaller representation
in Congress. By the time Barack Obama took office, the
whole project had become highly politicized and in 2010 the Obama administration deemed
the project unworkable and stopped funding it. Three years later, a federal court ordered
its resumption yet again but there has been little progress since. The Biden administration has clearly stated
that Yucca Mountain isn't a part of the country's plans anymore. Nevada seems to have won the battle after
four decades. Decades of planning, legal troubles, and over
17 Billion dollars have gone into the Yucca Mountain project, but after all is said and
done, it has never been used and remains a "useless" megaproject. So what do you think of these megaprojects? Do you think any of these have a shot at being
useful in the future? Let us know in the comments down below! If you want to see more about similar projects,
you can watch our video about “The Biggest Megaprojects Never Finished”. Thank you for watching, and we will see you
in the next video!
They build these megaproject but now useless lah how can it possible lah.
similar approach to palm island dubai project. many man made vacant islands abound at lower price today. early investors made a killing although late comers are stuck with it. was interested in pulau melaka project, pulled out early when learnt marketing primarily to ccp and arabs, a cocktail dont want to get caught in
Y'all act like the Johor royal family doesn't have anything to do with this.
Forest City at number two. Malaysians should be proud.
This project is made by chinese developers for chinese people. The only Malaysians that benefit are the gatekeepers. The fact that they had to build an island to build it, when land is plenty says a lot about how they know people are not gonna like the idea of selling our sovereignty to china.
He said it "Currently, a useless project" and it's mainly because of covid.
What the fuck? Do a list with proper useless projects not hampered by the pandemic please.
it would perfect for drift gangs.