Tunnel or bridge linking Jersey and France 'won't happen in the forseeable future'

A tunnel or bridge connecting Jersey and France won’t happen in the foreseeable future, according to the island's Deputy Chief Minister.

It comes after Deputy Kirsten Morel revisited the idea - which was originally proposed back in 2008 - as part of a new government plan for the island's sustainable economic growth.

He said it was "really important" for the government to "look at the feasibility of commuting from France".

He added: "Ultimately, you do come to the question of - do you want a fixed link, whether that's a bridge or a tunnel?"

The Minister suggested that increasing the frequency of ferries could boost connectivity to the continent instead.

Deputy Morel told ITV News: "I think I've been quite clear particularly from Jersey to France, ferry connections aren't where they need to be, particularly in levels of frequency, I've made that very clear to Condor.

“If you're trying to commute at the moment it's very difficult and come January/February time it's almost impossible."

But, he added if increasing ferry crossings doesn't work, then a "fixed link" could still be considered in the future.

However, any plans would take years to come to fruition and would cost millions if not billions.

Architect Mike Waddington said: "The bridge from Copenhagen to Malmo is five miles long and it cost £2.3 billion.

“Jersey to Granville is around 16 miles so we're looking at probably three times that cost.

“Somewhere in the region of £7-8 billion and to put that into perspective we've got, I believe around about £1 billion in our rainy day fund."

Deputy Morel said he had not yet held discussions with French authorities about exploring a fixed link.

He added Jersey's government would not be considering establishing a fixed link with Guernsey.

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