The incredible new £16bn bridge that would create a motorway between Africa and Asia
The proposed construction is presume suspended as it connects war-torn country to Africa.
A construction project costing £16billion would connect Africa and Asia - but has been put indefinitely on halt. The incredible project was proposed to connect the coasts of Djibouti in East Africa and Yemen in the Middle East.
The bridge would cross the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, consisting of a six lane motorway and quadruple train track.
Phase 1 was supposed to take place in 2010, but it was soon announced it was delayed. Nothing more has been heard of the project since and it is presume indefinitely suspended.
The Yemen civil war broke out in 2014 and is ongoing today, with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advising against all travel to the war-torn country.
It also advises Brits to "leave immediately" as terrorism is "highly likely". There is also a high threat of kidnap. The length of the bridge was estimated to measure 18 miles long, proposed by the Dubai-based firm Middle East Development LLC.
The opening date was expected to be 2020. To clear submarine and surface vessels, the proposed bridge would have the longest suspension span in the world measuring 3.1 miles.
It was anticipated that about 100,000 cars and 50,000 rail passengers would cross the bridge daily.
There were also plans to build two twin cities on either side of the bridge, referred to as Al Noor City. On Djibouti's side, President Ismael Omar Guelleh granted 190 square miles to build Noor City.
The developers expected Noor City to have 2.5 million residents by the end of 2025, with the twin city in Yemen having 4.5 million. There was also plans for a new airport serving 100 million passengers annually.
A new highway connecting the cities to Dubai was also proposed. There are now concerns the bridge may never be built as the volatile political situation in Yemen continues.
It was hoped the twin cities could be turned into the "financial, educational, and medical hub of Africa", as was hoped for in the announcement ceremony in 2008.
Including the cities, the total cost was expected to be around £156billion. Neither the Yemen nor the Djiboutian government have signed a framework agreement that would give the construction company the go-ahead.
