Atomic Bombs and Freeways

[ignatzmouse]

I remember reading, sometime around 1984, an article in the Los Angeles times which described a plan to use atomic blasts to remove mountains for freeways. The plan had been under consideration in the 1950’s as part of operation “plowshare.” While “plowshare” is well documented, I have been unable to locate information on this aspect of the operation since then. Did I imagine the whole thing? Was it an April Fool’s edition? (I am a sucker for such hoaxes because of my unbounded faith in human stupidity.) In short, has anyone else heard anything about this?

[3waygeek]

A quick search of the words “operation plowshare” on Google turns up 590 different web pages, at least a few of which should be of interest.

[ignatzmouse]

As I mentioned in my original post, “plowshare” is well documented. Unfortunately, I have had a deuce of a time verifying this specific aspect of the program.

[fiddlesticks]

You should have better luck if you use the search term “Nuclear Excavation”. Google turned up a bunch of hits. Here’s one interesting page…

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/6180/history.html

Unfortunately the page is copy-protected somehow doesn’t allow me to cut & paste the the interesting part here…just search for “excavation” to get the interesting part.

Most I read somewhere recently that China thought about using nukes for its Three Gorges dam project, but otherwise it looks like no one else has considering using this innovative construction method for awhile now.

[tomndebb]

From the link by fiddlesticks:

Plowshare
The high hopes for future uses of atomic energy included more than electric power generation. A future was envisioned where the atom bomb itself would have peaceful uses. Plowshare was the name chosen for the program to develop nuclear high explosives for use in mining, earth moving, harbor building, canal digging, cutting tunnels for highways and railways and a number of other projects. Edward Teller presented Project Plowshare to the world at the Second International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy held in Geneva in 1958. At one time many uses were suggested and testing was done at the Nevada test site with underground detonations. Such as the Project Sedan nuclear excavation experiment which produced a crater 1,286 feet in diameter and 323 feed deep, displacing 12 million tons of earth. The device used was 104 kilotons and was detonated at 635 feet beneath the surface on July 6, 1962.(Photo) Sedan was the second of Plowshares tests, the first, named Gnome, was set off December 10, 1961. Altogether there were 35 Plowshare experimental detonations between 1961 and 1973. In 1960 it was proposed that, with the help of powerful nuclear explosives, the Panama Canal could be excavated to become a sea level canal rather than the lock canal design which was resorted to due to the overwhelming quantities of rock involved. The new canal was to be called the Panatomic Canal. Legislation was enacted by Congress authorizing a commission to be appointed to study the possibility and the group carefully examined the possibilities and recommended 5 potential sites. Eventually the plan had to be dropped due to “prospective host country opposition to nuclear canal excavation.” Over the course of time the imaginative ideas of Plowshare were found to be impractical, impossible or unfeasible one by one. The contamination problems were insurmountable and Plowshare faded away.

I recall speculation about building an entirely new canal through Nicaragua. I’ve never heard of a serious proposal to take the high roads out of I-80 or I-94. (That doesn’t mean there were none, but I don’t think they got even as far as the canal replacement proposals.)

[Lumpy]

Concerning all those above-ground test sites. Are they off-limits radioactive death zones, or has it been long enough that the rad level is higher than normal but nothing dangerous?

[bernse]

I heard of tours that take you by the Sedan crater.

[wolfman]

Eventually the plan had to be dropped due to “prospective host country opposition to nuclear canal excavation.”

That is one of the funniest sentences I have read in years.