Since the dawn of civilization many civil engineering projects have been undertaken. And they’ve only become bigger and better over the years. These projects have had a tremendous impact on the world, paving the way towards the future. Things that seemed impossible were made possible due to these projects. It’s a testament of man’s ingenuity on Earth. It shows that given enough time and resources we can accomplish anything. Let’s take a look at some of these marvels that stand above the rest.

Panama Canal

You’ve all heard of the Panama Canal, but do you know anything about it besides its name? It was the French that initiated the project in 1881 to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. When they abandoned the project the United States stepped in to finish the job. It was finally completed in 1914 after 10 years of hard labor. The impact it had on the world was profound. Ships were able to reach their destination in half the time, due to the way provided by the Panama Canal. An expansion project is currently underway. The Panama Canal is often included as one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

Big Dig 

The Big Dig was a highway project aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Boston. The project was plagued with problems as soon as it began. The $4 billion dollars set aside for it was used up even before the project came to fruition. It finally ended up costing over $14 billion to complete the project, 9 years after it was originally meant to be. However it wasn’t a complete waste. It was able to meet its purpose and reduce the traffic in the city of Boston. I guess all’s well that ends well, or at least that’s what the people of Boston would like to believe.

Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge 

You probably might have heard of Danyang-Kunshan Bridge. It connects Shanghai to Nanjing. The special thing about this bridge is that it’s long, really long. At 164.8 kilometres it’s the longest bridge in the world, as confirmed by the folks at Guinness World Records. The construction took 4 years to complete, which isn’t that long if you take its length into consideration. Leave it to the Chinese to build the longest bridge in the world in a mere 4 years. The Chinese people must be proud to have Danyang-Kunshan in their country, even if it cost $8.5 billion to build.

Three Gorges Dam

China has a knack for engineering. The Three Gorges Dam is proof of that. It’s one of the biggest civil construction projects of the country. It’s a dam that serves dual purpose. Firstly, it generates 22,500 megawatts of electricity. Secondly, it has increased shipping in the neighbouring river. That’s a win-win for China. However, the Three Gorges Dam isn’t free from controversy. It’s said to have caused ecological changes in the area, because of which the dam has become unpopular with people around the world. I guess nothing’s perfect.

Arabian Canal

This is one project that is yet to be realized. However, its sheer scale has compelled us to include it in our list. The plan is simple. Create an oasis in the desert. Sound’s absurd, doesn’t it? However, if anyone can pull it off, it is Dubai. They built an artificial island. You don’t think they can do this? The Arabian Canal has been on hold since 2009, which is probably why they missed their 2012 deadline. Anyway, if it’s ever completed it’ll truly be a marvel to behold. If they can turn a desert into an oasis, what do you think they’re going to do next?

Now that you’ve gone through this list, you have some idea about the scale of civil engineering projects undertaken by us over the years. They’re too big to comprehend, aren’t they? If we’ve already accomplished so much as a species, think what the future holds. Imagine the projects we’ll undertake in the future. It’s definitely not going to be of this world, probably because we’ll have colonized Mars till then. So for next time I’ll be sure to bring you engineering projects from the planet Mars. Until then you can marvel at the constructions we’ve built on this planet.

Author Bio: 

Jenny Wadlow, the author of this post, is a freelance blogger and an ace creative writer with many years of experience writing for different blogs. Jenny is a culinary enthusiast and enjoys preparing various cuisines for her family on weekends.