# Building a bridge to Havana **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938 "2012-04-25T18:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/21 "2012-04-25T21:54:47Z")
The obstacles are huge. The costs would be enormous. Maintenance and insurance through the roof. We have no official relations with Cuba for the most part. If the US recognized Cuba and an atmosphere fostering trade and socialization developed, the means of transportation would be immediate and pretty cheap. Boats, helicopters and planes would be beating a path back and forth. Maybe you could make the trip for $25 or less. Many would provide free transportation. If we actually did have something substantial going with Cuba and this trade flow were in progress, the engineering ideas would begin to develop. Who knows what might come along? ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/22 "2012-04-25T21:55:13Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Floating supports tethered to suction piles or whatever other deepwater foundation system you want. I dunno about that. Washington State has the three longest floating bridges in the world and haven’t had particularly good luck with them. The Hood Canal bridge sank in 1979, the Lacey Murrow (I-90) bridge in 1990 and they’ve admitted that it’s only luck that the Evergreen Point bridge didn’t sink before the current refit project. The longest of these bridges is only 7500 feet long and they’re all across relatively tame inland waterways. You think the concept would work better across 90 miles of open ocean in hurricane country? Then again, maybe Washington just has bad luck with bridges: [Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_%281940%29) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/23 "2012-04-25T21:56:58Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The bridge would be littered with dead '47 Studebakers and '55 Hudsons. Please don’t take this personally, but that is, hands down, the worst cover of “Born to Run” I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/24 "2012-04-25T22:25:40Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Or if he’s made of wood. Or very small rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/25 "2012-04-25T23:00:00Z")
How about a tunnel? Imagine what could happen if it leaked. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/26 "2012-04-25T23:08:07Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > How about a tunnel? Imagine what could happen if it leaked. Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, _don’t_ fail me _now!_ ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/27 "2012-04-25T23:08:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Ferries. Ferries were in use up until Fidel took over. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/28 "2012-04-25T23:27:43Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Ferries were in use up until Fidel took over. I’ve seen film of my…[counts on fingers]…first FIL as a kid on a boat on the way to vacation in Cuba. 1930’s, I guess. He ate a lot of green bananas hanging on the boat and was violently ill. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/29 "2012-04-26T00:31:03Z")
Just as with a Bearing Strait / Diomede islands bridge, approaches are a concern too. The Cuban side is pretty easy, having a major road all along the north shore, but Florida is an issue. 90 miles is from Key West, itself already at the end of a long overseas highway resplendent with traffic lights, businesses and at-grade intersections. Additional traffic over US-1 would be a major difficulty. going the other route, hooking up such a bridge directly to Key Largo or Ft. Meyers ain’t too practical. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/30 "2012-04-26T13:24:12Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > The obstacles are huge. The costs would be enormous. Maintenance and insurance through the roof. We have no official relations with Cuba for the most part. If the US recognized Cuba and an atmosphere fostering trade and socialization developed, the means of transportation would be immediate and pretty cheap. Boats, helicopters and planes would be beating a path back and forth. Maybe you could make the trip for $25 or less. Many would provide free transportation. This. I can’t ever see it being cost effective. You could have a gozillion ferry and plane rides back and forth and not even touch the cost of construction, even if it were possible. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/31 "2012-04-26T13:32:14Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > What is this strange technology that allows carriages to traverse the seas as a barrow travels over the earth? It is the most commonest of sense that chattel may not suspend itself by its own accord above a watery tomb. It is only through logick that we know to cross a channel we must build the soil up to above the tides, for no mystickal vehicle can remain on the surface with no firmament below it – so thou has proposed WITCHCRAFT! He said “ferries”, not “fairies”. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/32 "2012-04-26T13:40:51Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > He said “ferries”, not “fairies”. 😕 Pssst. You really don’t want folks to be too INQUISITIVE about you, ok? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/33 "2012-04-26T13:53:59Z")
I was for the bridge to Cuba before I was against it. ---
**Author:** ![Dufus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dufus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dufus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/34 "2012-04-26T14:59:53Z")
The [boat people](http://happyat90miles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/balseros1.jpg) would appreciate a bridge, so they could paddle over in the shade. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/35 "2012-04-26T15:27:51Z")
> [@Dufus](#): > > The [boat people](http://happyat90miles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/balseros1.jpg) would appreciate a bridge, so they could paddle over in the shade. Hey, we shot all those arrows at them. What more do they want? ---
**Author:** ![Take\_the\_cannoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@Take\_the\_cannoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Take_the_cannoli)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/36 "2012-04-26T16:02:00Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > snip > > Assuming we can answer all the engineering and other questions, is there any reasons **NOT** to do this? It seems like one of those cool mega-projects. A reason not to do this? It’s not “eco-friendly”. We need to consider other solutions to these types of problems. [Like this.](http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/worlds-largest-solar-powered-boat) [Or this.](http://www.ziplinerider.com/Longest_Ziplines.html) YEE-HAAAAHHH ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/37 "2012-04-26T16:39:24Z")
> [@Take\_the\_cannoli](#): > > A reason not to do this? It’s not “eco-friendly”. > > We need to consider other solutions to these types of problems. > > … I’d say it’s more like we need to consider other problems for these types of solutions. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938/38 "2012-04-26T17:25:38Z")
Of course, if all the casinos and nightclubs in Havana get repatriated to their original owners, perhaps they can “negotiate” some favorable contracts to keep costs down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-bridge-to-havana/619938.md?page=1)