Governments and corporations around the world spend billions of dollars on massive megaprojects with the promise of economic growth, technological advancements, and modernization. However, not all of these projects end up being useful. Many become financial disasters, abandoned ghost towns, or simply fail to deliver on their promises.
Today, we are looking at five of the most useless and costly megaprojects that have wasted billions of dollars with little to no return on investment. From abandoned cities to failed infrastructure projects, these ventures serve as a reminder that bigger is not always better.
1) Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository – $12 Billion Wasted on an Abandoned Site
The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was supposed to be the ultimate solution for America’s growing nuclear waste problem. The project began in the 1980s and received $32 billion from power companies, with $12 billion already spent on studying and building it.
- Purpose: A deep underground facility to safely store nuclear waste for thousands of years.
- Investment: $12 billion spent before being abandoned.
- Problem: The Obama administration declared it unfeasible in 2010 and withdrew funding.
- Current Status: The facility remains unused, and nuclear waste storage remains an issue in the U.S.
Despite the massive investment, Yucca Mountain never became operational, making it one of the biggest financial and scientific failures in U.S. history.
2) Forest City, Malaysia – A $100 Billion Ghost Town
Forest City was envisioned as a futuristic smart city in Malaysia, designed to accommodate 700,000 residents and attract global investment. Instead, it became a nearly empty ghost town.
- Total Investment: Over $100 billion.
- Goal: To build a cutting-edge, eco-friendly urban center.
- Failure: By 2020, fewer than 500 people were living there.
- Reason for Failure: Poor planning, a lack of interest from investors, and economic downturns.
Despite its grand vision, Forest City is now one of the most expensive and underused megaprojects in history.
3) Naypyidaw, Myanmar – The World’s Strangest Capital
In 2005, Myanmar’s military government decided to build a brand-new capital city from scratch. The result? Naypyidaw—a massive, empty metropolis.
- Funding: $4 billion spent so far.
- Size: It is 6 times the size of New York City but barely populated.
- Why It’s Useless: Most government employees prefer to commute from other cities instead of living there.
- Infrastructure: 12-lane highways that are nearly always empty.
Despite its modern infrastructure, Naypyidaw remains a bizarre, deserted capital that most people consider unnecessary.
4) Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain – A Billion-Dollar Airport That Nobody Uses
Ciudad Real Central Airport was meant to transform Spain into a major aviation hub. Instead, it became a financial disaster that closed just three years after opening.
- Investment: Over €1 billion spent on construction.
- Opening Year: 2009.
- Number of Airlines: Only two low-cost carriers ever operated from it.
- Closed: 2012, after failing to attract passengers or airlines.
The airport was later sold for just €10,000, marking one of the biggest losses in European infrastructure history.
5) Interstate H-3, Hawaii – A Billion-Dollar Highway Many Refuse to Use
The Interstate H-3 highway in Hawaii was built to improve connectivity, but it is now seen as one of the most wasteful infrastructure projects in the U.S.
- Total Cost: $1.3 billion, or $50 million per kilometer.
- Purpose: Connect military bases on Oahu Island.
- Why It’s Considered Useless: Many Native Hawaiians refuse to use it, believing it is cursed because of the destruction of sacred sites during its construction.
- Environmental Controversy: Construction took 37 years due to legal battles and environmental protests.
Despite the enormous cost, many locals avoid the highway, making it one of the most controversial and underused megaprojects in America.
6) The World Islands, Dubai – A Billion-Dollar Man-Made Archipelago That Sinks
Dubai is known for its ambitious projects, but The World Islands turned into one of the most infamous failures.
- Total Cost: Over $14 billion invested.
- Concept: A collection of artificial islands shaped like the continents of the world.
- Failure: Many of the islands remain undeveloped.
- Major Issue: Reports suggest that the islands are slowly sinking into the sea due to erosion.
Despite its grand vision, The World Islands remain largely uninhabited, with only a handful of structures completed.
7) Kangbashi, China – A Ghost City Built for a Million, Housing Just 100,000
China’s rapid urbanization led to the construction of entire cities before people even moved in. Kangbashi is one of the most extreme examples.
- Built To House: Over 1 million people.
- Current Population: Just over 100,000.
- Reason for Failure: The lack of economic activity meant that few people wanted to move there.
- Vast Empty Streets: Most of the city remains eerily unoccupied.
Conclusion
These five megaprojects serve as cautionary tales of what happens when ambition, politics, and poor planning collide. While the ideas behind them may have been promising, their execution led to billions of dollars being wasted with little benefit to society.
From ghost cities to abandoned airports, these projects highlight the risks of blindly pursuing large-scale developments without proper feasibility studies and long-term sustainability plans.
Could these failures have been avoided? What other megaprojects do you think deserve a place on this list?
