CONVERSATIONS about establishing a joint Jersey and Guernsey body to examine the feasibility of a tunnel to France are ongoing, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel recently told the States.
But the Deputy said that only “light work” was under way and that there would be “no direct programme” to develop any plans for several years.
The possibility of an undersea tunnel connecting the islands and Normandy was discussed last month when Nordic tunnelling experts spoke at a Chamber of Commerce event.
They said such a project was not only possible but could be completed in around seven years at a cost of between £10,000 and £50,000 per metre.
It was said that the tunnel could enable journey times of 15 minutes between Jersey and Guernsey, and 17 minutes between Jersey and France.
Although the concept has been a point of discussion for many years, speakers at the event reiterated the potential benefits to the economy, and described the ways in which it could ease the long-term issues facing Jersey – including shortages of labour and housing.
In response to questions from Deputy Jonathan Renouf, Deputy Morel said: “There is a small amount of light work around feasibility. This includes correspondence and communication with our counterparts in Guernsey, where we talked about the possibility of setting up a joint body that may look at this, but over the next few years it is very much a case of starting the conversation.
“From an engineering perspective, it’s possible, from a financial perspective, it’s possible, and it would be negligent of me as a minister to ignore that it is all possible.
“But there would be an impact on Island identity, and I would have to put to the Island something that is feasible and ask Islanders what they think.”
