Government Updates Study for NL Fixed Link

On Wednesday the Provincial Government released the updated pre-feasibility study for a fixed link between Labrador and the island of Newfoundland.

A study on the concept was conducted in 2004.

That study provided an independent examination of the economic and technical implications and the construction viability of a fixed transportation link across the Strait of Belle Isle.

The updated report includes new geological research, innovations in tunnel technology, updated labour and material costs, and other factors that may have an impact on the original cost and time estimates. Hatch Limited updated the engineering study for the report while the Harris Centre’s Regional Analytics Lab completed the economic impact analysis.

The report includes a review of three fixed link tunnel concepts: a single rail, single road and double road. It concludes that a tunnel bored using tunnel boring machines, with an electric train shuttle to transport vehicles is the most technically and economically feasible alternative.