World’s most expensive floating parking lot costs US Navy $4.5bn

This parking lot may look quite ordinary like any other in your neighborhood. However, this is the most expensive one, mind you. The reason being, it’s the deck of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a giant nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that cost US Navy approximately $4.5 billion to build. Hence, the most expensive tag.

world’s most expensive parking lot

Well, the deck of the ship is covered with the vehicles of the Navy Sailors on their way to Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington. The navy personnel will make their homes in Bremerton which is also the home of the Navel ship. The personnel are transporting their vehicles on the ship for two good reasons: it’s easy to transport vehicles and economical.

Picture Gallery

world’s most expensive parking lot

Aircraft carrier transports sailors' cars to ship's new home

While the common American citizen may view this as a gigantic waste of the taxpayer’s money, the US Navy justifies this method with reasons already stated. One wonders whether it would have cost the institution more to reimburse the soldiers for gas and travel expenses had they asked them to drive their vehicles up the west coast from the ship’s permanent base in San Diego than the one-way fare they paid to have the vehicles shipped out.

Of course, the US Navy will have to spend another $4.5 billion on ferrying the vehicles back. This raises the question if it wouldn’t have been much more sensible for them to simply have purchased Navy-spec vehicles for the new base which could be re-used by another lot of sailors whenever this lot returns home. But I guess the wise men that advice the US government on budgetary issues know something about cost-effectiveness that we don’t.

Via: Emirates 24|7