Shetland Island Council (SIC) officials this week slammed plans for a tunnel linking the Island of Whalsay to the mainland. Councillors said it would be too expensive and the idea should be abandoned in favour of building a new ferry terminal.
SIC’s head of finance Graham Johnston and head of transport Michael Craigie presented two reports to councillors, revealing that the basic capital cost of a fixed link would be between GBP 76M and 83M (USD 117.2M and 128M), GBP 23 to 28M (USD 35.4M to 43.2M) more than for the ferry service.
The report also said it would take at least eight years to develop and build the tunnel, which would have to be 6.3km rather than the 5.5km first thought, when the estimated remaining lifespan of the existing terminal at Symbister is just five years.
Members of the council’s infrastructure committee will discuss the findings and the recommendations at a special meeting next Tuesday, followed immediately by a meeting of the Full Council to ratify any decision they might reach.
