Russia has announced big plans for a superhighway that would effectively connect all the continents in the Northern Hemisphere, making it possible to travel from New York westward through Russia and on to London without the need for an airplane or a boat. The exact route hasn't been determined yet, but what is clear is that a plan such as this would create the largest, longest superhighway on Earth. The idea, dubbed the Trans-Eurasian Belt Development (TERP), would see a high speed railway and motorway built from Eastern Europe, across Siberia and over the Bering Strait to Alaska. At a meeting of the Russian Academy of Science, the head of the Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin presented the idea for the Trans-Eurasian belt Development (TEPR). Mr Yakunin has been engaged in the development of the project with academic Gennady Osipov and the rector of Moscow State University, Viktor Sadovnichy. During the meeting Vladimir Yakunin told that the project could link existing networks and supercharge global economic growth. The project would see not only a new train network built alongside the Trans-Siberian Railway but the construction of major roads, pipelines for oil and gas, and the laying of facilities for electricity and water supplies. "This is an inter-state, inter-civilization, project. It should be an alternative to the current model, which has caused a systemic crisis. The project should be turned into a world "future zone", and it must be based on leading, not catching, technologies," he said, according to the Siberian Times newspaper. If the idea is successful, it is expected that could create 10 to 15 new industries, new cities and a huge number of new jobs, as well as further development of Siberia and the Far East. Talking about a rough estimate for the costs of the project he said that it will require trillions of dollars, but insisted the economic returns would outweigh these investments. Today not all countries can provide high-speed railway network needed for this project. In Eastern Europe the European Union is separately drawing up plans for a high speed rail corridor to connect the Baltic States to Western Europe's high speed rail network - which runs through the Channel Tunnel to London. North American passenger railways are comparative undeveloped, however. Plans drawn up by President Obama to develop high speed rail corridors across the United States have stalled amid opposition. Bridges and tunnels spanning the Bering Strait have been proposed since the late 19th century but none has ever been built. The Russian government has expressed public support for a number of proposals in recent years but ground has not been broken on any of them, reported The Independent. China and Russia also unveiled a separate plan last year to connect, as well as a plan for a continent-spanning rail network that could cross the Bering Strait .

China currently boasts the world's largest building, could soon be home to the world's tallest pair of towers, and according to Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), we will soon be able to add an airport passenger terminal to the list. The firm has unveiled plans for its Beijing New Airport Terminal Building, which it says will be the world's largest. The project is collaboration between ZHA and airport architecture firm ADP Ingenierie, and is being carried out under the leadership of the Beijing New Airport Headquarters (BNAH). Building will initially accommodate 45 million passengers per year and "will be adaptable and sustainable, operating in many different configurations dependent on varying aircraft and passenger traffic throughout each day," states ZHA. Beyond its predicted capacity of 45 million passengers per year, details on the new terminal building are scant. Gizmag reports that the terminal will "measure 700,000 square meters, and that the entire airport will be completed in 2018, for a total budget of roughly US$13.8 billion," but notes that ZHA is yet to confirm this. The mammoth new star-shaped terminal will include "direct links to local and national rail services including the Gaotie high speed rail," and is planned as "a key hub within Beijing's growing transport network and a catalyst for the region's economic development, including the city of Tianjin and Hebei Province". The New Beijing Terminal Building is being developed so as to alleviate pressure on Beijing's existing Capital Airport. Completed in 2008, the Foster + Partners-designed airport is already one of the largest in the world, but has been operating beyond its capacity.

The Singapore "Changi Airport", which was named the world's best airport in 2014, started construction of new terminal. Known as "Project Jewel", the new terminal is going to recreate nature. Airport, relax and comfort are three words destined never to sit next to each other in the same sentence, but looking forward at the plans for this new terminal that could soon change. According to project authors in 2018 visitors can enjoy new little "paradise" in airport. The massive donut-like structure, constructed from steel-and-grass will be 10 stories, five above ground and five underground. Jewel Chandi's centerpiece will be Forest Valley, a five story garden with thousand of trees, ferns and shrubs. In the middle of the forest, will be the 40-meter-high Rain Vortex. On completion, it'll be the world's tallest indoor waterfall, according to the airport. At the night, the Rain Vortex will transform into a light and sound show. In the US$ 1.1 billion terminal will be 130-room-hotel, for visitors and passengers, retail areas, game-zone, restaurants and so on.

China and Russia are considering building a high-speed rail line thousands of kilometers from Moscow to Beijing that would cut the journey time from six days on the celebrated Trans-Siberian to two. The 803-kilometre line would be the first stage of the route to Beijing. The project would cost more than US$ 230 billion and be over 7,000 kilometers long, more than three times the world's current longest high-speed line, from the Chinese capital to the southern city of Guangzhou. At present, trains between the two run along the Trans-Siberian railway that links Moscow and Vladivostok, before switching to a branch line heading south through the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. Direct passenger trains between Beijing and Moscow went into operation in 1954 and there are still two services per week.

A 500 meter loop will be built on the campus of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) followed by a commercial network, according to skyTran, the company that will build it. Two-person vehicles will be suspended from elevated magnetic tracks, as an alternative transport method to congested roads, the firm promised. The system should be up and running by the end of 2015. The firm hopes the test track will prove that the technology works and lead to a commercial version of the network. The plan is to allow passengers to order a vehicle on their smartphone to meet them at a specific station and then head directly to their destination. The vehicles will achieve speeds of up to 70km/h although the commercial rollout is expected to offer much faster vehicles. A number of skyTran projects are planned globally, including in India and the US, but will depend upon the success of the Israeli pilot. SkyTran, based at the Nasa research park in California, hopes to revolutionize public transport. Chief executive Jerry Sanders described the agreement to build a test track with IAI as a "breakthrough" for the project. Joe Dignan, an independent smart city expert, said the system represented "a hybrid between existing infrastructure and autonomous vehicles". "It will get the market in the mood for autonomous vehicles - it is not too scary, is cheaper than building out a train line and uses part of the urban landscape, 20 feet above ground, that isn't currently used."