User blog comment:VonGlusenburg/Atlantropa/@comment-1375165-20130312051322

Yes, Atlantropa was the inspiration for the Magneuropa Program in Superpowers.

In my opinion, the project is completely unsupportable for a nation without complete control of the Mediterranean (or at least its access points). Millions would die if there were a rapid reversal of the sea level, say from a terrorist or military bombing of the required dams.

Also, few countries would have the economic capacity to support such an effort. The Three Gorges Dam is 2.3 km long and cost $28 billion US, in a country where labor costs are small. At its narrowest part, the Strait of Gibraltar is 14.3 km, suggesting a bare minimum cost of $180 billion. This cost ignores a likely magnification of difficulties with building over larger gaps of water. Furthermore, modifications would need to be made to the Suez Canal and likely the Bosporus, and measures taken to help the thousands of port towns that would be economically devastated by the retreating sea level. (I will likely be revising the figures on the linked article in my timeline since $298 trillion US seems excessive).