Why Shetland tunnel plan offers fresh hope to all Scotland's islanders
A four-mile tunnel between the Shetland mainland and Yell could end up costing about the same as two ferries
It’s fair to say many islanders on Scotland’s west coast have been having a tough time in recent years, given the government’s seemingly interminable struggles to ensure CalMac has enough serviceable ferries to provide a decent service.
However news that work is set to begin on a four-mile tunnel to connect the Shetland mainland to the island of Yell, population 960, may provide a glimmer of hope. The eight-year construction project comes with an estimated price-tag of about £500 million so, theoretically at least, it will cost roughly the same to complete as the troubled Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries and be ready about three years sooner.
Cynics will probably fear this is going to turn out to be yet another big engineering project that goes wildly over budget. But if the Shetland scheme is a success, expect to see proposals for tunnels connecting Scotland’s west coast islands too.
And, who knows, if it goes really well, maybe even Boris Johnson’s dubious wheeze of a bridge/tunnel between Scotland and Northern Ireland will make a comeback!
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