en.Wedoany.com Reported - A study commissioned by consulting firms COWI and Stantec indicates that the Yell Sound link project in the Shetland Islands is expected to require an investment of approximately £402 million. The 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tunnel, located 50 meters below the seabed, is being used as a "test tunnel" for the Islands Inter-Island Transport Critical Project (IITCP), aimed at assessing whether a fixed link could replace parts of the aging and increasingly costly ferry network. Research models show that the tunnel would be sustained through tolls.
Andy Sloan, Executive Vice President at COWI, stated that the estimates are based on discussions with three international contractors. The capital cost investment is approximately £327 million, with an additional £50 million in risk and contingency funds and £25 million in upfront costs. Sloan believes this cost is "entirely reasonable" within Scotland and the wider UK.
The Inter-Island Transport Critical Project was launched in 2024 to address long-term pressures on the Shetland inter-island ferry network. Data shows that operating costs for the 2024/25 fiscal year are estimated at £25 million, with an average vessel age of 32.5 years, alongside challenges in crew recruitment and capacity constraints on major routes.
The project is developing a long-term strategy for eight island communities, evaluating options including maintaining the status quo, enhancing ferry services, and building fixed links for four islands: Yell, Unst, Whalsay, and Bressay. During community open days, residents have reviewed the latest proposals and submitted feedback before councilors select preferred options later this month.
A fixed link model study commissioned last year has concluded that the Yell tunnel is technically feasible and financially viable. Sloan noted that the engineering challenges are "relatively straightforward," with the core issue being whether Scotland chooses a short-term or long-term approach to solving island connectivity. He emphasized that fixed links could transform how people live, work, and travel, reverse population decline, provide access to critical services, and support economic growth. Council leader Emma Macdonald stated that fixed links could enhance the resilience of island communities, adding that inaction is not an option, as the islands currently rely on aging, unreliable, carbon-intensive ferries at risk of breakdown.
Councilors will discuss the business outline case later this month, selecting preferred options for each route after weighing the long-term costs and benefits of ferries versus tunnels.
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