A group of Islanders have revealed their in-depth proposals for a fixed link to the Isle of Wight today (Tuesday), with suggested plans of a road and rail tunnel between Arreton and Titchfield near the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth.
As previously reported, the Department of Transport have confirmed that billions of pounds is available for major transport schemes throughout the country, which prompted Carl Feeney and Kevin Cooke to set up the Isle of Wight Fixed Link Referendum Facebook page.
Now, with the assistance of Rob Forrest, detailed and realistic plans have been drawn up for a permanent fixed link between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, in a location that has not previously been suggested.
The passionate Islanders’ suggestion would see a two-way road tunnel with a railway line built between the A3056 in Arreton and the A27 Southampton Road in Titchfield, near to the M27. The tunnel would stretch some 13 miles in length and would go under almost half of the Isle of Wight, coming out in the rural community of Arreton – a village that is known to refuse changes to the surrounding area.
Due to the length of the tunnel, a ventilation and emergency access shaft would be installed half way across the Solent with the potential for tidal and wind power generators being used to power the tunnel’s electrics.
Under the plans a monorail system would also be installed to run between Cowes and Sandown and onwards to Ryde, connecting up with an electric train that would run through the tunnel in a separate section. Travel time between Sandown and Cowes on a monorail system would be just 21 minutes.
An Island Echo poll carried out over the past few days shows that 68% of the 1100 people that voted would back a fixed link, showing that the idea of changing the Island way of life is still near a 50/50 split.
The full plans can be seen at https://solenttunnel.zz.mu/.
What do you think about these plans? Should the tunnel go between Cowes and Fawley or maybe East Cowes and Lee-on-Solent?
