US Explored Nuclear Blasts for Alternative Shipping Routes in 1960s

Decades-old plan to use nuclear explosions to create a new canal route resurfaces amid global oil supply challenges.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:10pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted earth tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific and political forces behind the proposed nuclear canal project.A conceptual illustration of the ambitious yet risky plan to harness nuclear energy for geopolitical and economic gain, despite warnings about the potential environmental catastrophe.Livermore Today

In the 1960s, the U.S. government explored using nuclear explosions to create an alternative shipping route that would avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global oil supplies. The plan, which was ultimately abandoned in the 1970s, was revived recently when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich suggested a similar idea on social media.

Why it matters

The 1960s nuclear canal proposal highlights how governments have long sought to harness technology to boost geopolitical influence and global trade, even in environmentally risky ways. While the idea was eventually shelved, it reflects ongoing efforts to find new routes and methods to move critical resources around the world.

The details

In the 1950s, after Egypt seized control of the Suez Canal, the U.S. and Soviet Union explored using nuclear explosions to create an alternative sea-level canal through the Darién Gap between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The plan was championed by physicist Edward Teller, the principal architect of the hydrogen bomb. However, marine biologists warned that such a canal could lead to the 'mutual invasions of Atlantic and Pacific organisms' by joining the two oceans for the first time in millions of years.

  • The Suez crisis occurred in 1956, sparking interest in finding alternative shipping routes.
  • The nuclear canal studies ramped up in the 1960s under the Atoms for Peace program.
  • Plans for the nuclear waterway ended by the early 1970s due to budget deficits and treaty restrictions on nuclear testing.

The players

Newt Gingrich

Former U.S. House Speaker who recently revived the idea of using nuclear explosions to create an alternative shipping route.

Edward Teller

Physicist who was the principal architect of the hydrogen bomb and a key proponent of the nuclear canal project.

Christine Keiner

Author of the book 'Deep Cut: Science, Power, and the Unbuilt Interoceanic Canal' who discusses the history of the nuclear canal proposal.

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What they’re saying

“Use nuclear bombs to cut a new channel along a route that would avoid Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz.”

— Newt Gingrich, Former U.S. House Speaker

“A sea-level canal could unleash 'mutual invasions of Atlantic and Pacific organisms' by joining the oceans on either side of the isthmus for the first time in 3 million years.”

— Marine and evolutionary biologists

The takeaway

The 1960s nuclear canal proposal highlights the lengths governments have gone to in pursuit of geopolitical and economic goals, even when the environmental risks were significant. While the idea was ultimately abandoned, it reflects an ongoing tension between technological ambition and ecological concerns.