SAPPORO -- The idea of a tunnel for auto traffic between Japan's main island of Honshu with Hokkaido to the north has gained new momentum after years of being considered a wasteful long shot.
The 31-km undersea tunnel would cost 720 billion yen ($6.97 billion) and serve as a complement to the existing, rail-only Seikan Tunnel, according to a proposal submitted last month to Transport Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba.
