Vancouver Island fixed link

[citation needed] Public support for a fixed link resurfaced following a strike by employees of CP Steamships and the Black Ball Line in 1958 and the subsequent establishment of BC Ferries in 1960.

[2][3] Various studies were conducted throughout the 1980s and the 1990s to assess the feasibility of constructing a fixed link between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland across the strait.

[1] Challenges to establishing a fixed link include the presence of large cargo ships in the area; the depth of the Georgia Strait (up to 365 m deep); the depth of soft sediments found on the ocean bed (up to 450 m thick); potential marine slope instabilities along the eastern side of the strait; extreme wave conditions (4-7 m waves, with 6 m tides and 2-knot current), extreme wind speeds (up to 115 km/h, with gusts up to 180 km/h); seasonal fog, snow, and ice accumulation on the structure; and the high seismic activity of the region.

Depending on the specific alignment, a fixed-link would shorten travel times by replacing one or more of BC Ferries' routes between the island and Lower Mainland.

[3][4] Opponents argue that improving the speed and reliability of BC Ferries service across the strait would eliminate the need for a fixed link.