MP says tunnel vision could be the future for Argyll & Bute

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Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O’Hara believes Scotland, particularly his constituency could learn a great deal from the Faroe Islands who have a remarkable road tunnel network which connects many of the outlying islands with the capital Torshavn.

The Eysturoy sub – sea tunnel (UK version) from Eystur- og Sandoyartunlar 

His comments came after a meeting at Westminster with Mr. Uni Danielsen, Managing Director of Nordoyatunniln, the company in charge of the Faroese tunnelling project on Tuesday 24th October.

Brendan O’Hara, MP with Mr Uni Danielsen, Managing Director of Nordoyatunniln .

Mr. Danielsen’s latest tunnel project, a 6 kilometre, two-lane road tunnel is one of the longest tunnels in the Faroe Islands and Mr O’Hara was keen to find out more about how they did it and what lesson could be learned by Scotland.

Torshavn

After the meeting, Mr O’Hara said,
“Tunnels are a vital part of the Faroese transportation network and has brought them huge economic benefits and at a cost of £11m per kilometre, I think this is worth exploring further. I intend visiting Mr. Danielsen in the Faroe Islands next year with possibly Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands to see at first-hand how these tunnels are built and to see if such technology could be applied here in Argyll and other parts of Scotland to connect some or our islands and more remote parts of the constituency to the mainland”.

He went on to say,

“Obviously things are at the very, very preliminary stages but I’d like to look at the similarities in the geology of Scotland and the Faroe Islands and I’d like to explore the possible benefits projects like this could bring to Scotland.  We have promised to keep in touch and I very much look forward to meeting him again next year.”

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are approximately 200 miles off the north west of Scotland and lies between Norway and Iceland and have been building tunnels since the 1960s.  There are around 18 tunnels connecting their various islands ranging from 0.5km to 6km and with some more currently under construction.