NAGOYA – A closely watched high-speed maglev line project in Japan still faces many challenges, including huge construction costs seen totaling ¥11 trillion (about $67.7 billion), although it has cleared a major hurdle with much-awaited consent from a prefectural governor.
On Tuesday, Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki agreed to the start of construction of the Chuo Shinkansen line’s section in the prefecture, breaking the nine-year deadlock that began with opposition to the project expressed by his predecessor, Heita Kawakatsu, in October 2017 due to environmental concerns, such as a possible drop in the amount of water in the Oi River, which runs through the prefecture.
The Shizuoka section is the most challenging part for the construction of the line linking Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station and Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture.
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