The Shetland Islands Council has thrown its weight behind plans to build underwater road tunnels connecting the four outlying islands, including funding a £1m feasibility study.
There is currently no official price attached to the project but a similar scheme in the Faroe Islands cost roughly £225m. The council raised the prospect of using tolls to make it more affordable.
The authority has approved the Network Strategy - Strategic Outline Case (SOC) report, which makes the case for the tunnels, and authorised spending of £990,000, which would go towards a feasibility study looking into the financial viability of their construction.
The report was presented by a partnership of Stantec, COWI, Mott Macdonald, and ProVersa, which successfully established the case for tunnels to Bressay, Unst, Whalsay, and Yell, as well as enhanced ferry services for Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour, and Skerries.
The undersea tunnels are intended to replace some of the ageing ferries. The procurement of these vessels has been plagued with issues and currently appears to be facing further problems.
A recent contract notice from the Shetland Islands Council announced that it had discontinued the procurement of a new vessel for the islands. The contract was expected to be valued at £5.6m and would have seen the new ferry delivered by October of this year.
Council leader Emma Macdonald said: ‘Tunnelling in Shetland is, ultimately, about future-proofing our island population.
'The experience of our neighbours in the Faroe Islands is clear - tunnelling from mainland Shetland to our outer islands could increase their population, lower their average age, and increase their economic prospects. It’s also critical that we continue to invest in a resilient and reliable ferry service to support all our islands.’
The Shetland Islands Council has been approached for comment on the cancelled ferry procurement.
Image credit: Shutterstock @Marcin Kadziolka
