Plans to build £1.2billion tunnel to the Isle of Wight unveiled as an alternative to ‘slow’ car ferries
Individual crossings would cost £10 each way for islanders and £20 each way for mainlanders
PLANS to build a £1.2 billion tunnel to link the Isle of Wight to the mainland have been unveiled as an alternative to 'slow' car ferries.
The new proposal would see a four mile long dual-carriageway road built in the Solent between Whippingham on the island and Gosport, Hants.
Currently, the two locations are separated by around four miles of water, and the only way for vehicles to cross is by private operated ferries.
Campaign group Pro-Link, led by founder Carl Feeney, is behind the proposal and says the tunnel is expected to pay for itself in 18 years with motorists paying to use it.
In a statement launching the proposal to the Isle of Wight Infrastructure Task Force at Isle of Wight Council, he said the crossing would take around six minutes in a vehicle.
In comparison, a typical ferry crossing at the moment would take over an hour taking into account boarding and disembarking.
Mr Feeney, 50, also expects the tunnel to double the rate of present traffic flow between the mainland and the island - from 5,700 vehicles a day to around 12,000.
Households will be able to purchase an annual permit for an expected fee of £2,000, and be free to cross as many times as they wish.
Otherwise, individual crossings would cost £10 each way for islanders, £20 each way for mainlanders - out of peak season. A typical ferry crossing with a car costs in excess of £50 for a return.
Outlining his vision Mr Feeney, who runs a sailing business in Cowes, Isle of Wight, said: "I was born on the island.
"It used to be great. There used to be lots of people coming here, and it was an interesting place for visitors to enjoy themselves.
"But unfortunately, the controls on the ferries have depleted. The prices have become fluid instead of static.
"Businesses trading with the mainland have to take that into account.
"We have got one of the lowest rates of business start-ups on the island in the country, and people are finding it difficult running a business without needing the influence of the ferries."
The planning has taken two years - and Mr Feeney has sought counsel from infrastructure specialists and tunnel builders from the Netherlands.
Unlike the ferries, the proposal outlines plans to keep the tunnel open 24 hours a day.