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02/04/2007
Plans for cross-Channel bridge revealed
Travellers could have driven between England and France on a large suspension bridge if plans submitted to Margaret Thatcher's government has been approved, it has been revealed.
Civil engineers submitted plans for a three-lane motorway, spanning the 21 miles from Dover or Folkestone, to the government in April 1981, the records released by the National Archives show.
Engineering group LinktoEurope estimated that the bridge, which would have been built 220ft above the Channel, would have cost around £3 billion.
However, they estimated that motorists would pay a toll charge of £5.60, while lorry drivers would be charged £8, resulting in revenue of about £220 million.
The records show that the group had admitted that the huge pylons on which the bridge would rest could make navigation of the Channel difficult for ships, but suggested that the structure would be sturdy enough that traffic would be unaffected if a boat collided with one of the struts.
The records do not show how seriously the government considered the plans.
(KMcA/SP)
Civil engineers submitted plans for a three-lane motorway, spanning the 21 miles from Dover or Folkestone, to the government in April 1981, the records released by the National Archives show.
Engineering group LinktoEurope estimated that the bridge, which would have been built 220ft above the Channel, would have cost around £3 billion.
However, they estimated that motorists would pay a toll charge of £5.60, while lorry drivers would be charged £8, resulting in revenue of about £220 million.
The records show that the group had admitted that the huge pylons on which the bridge would rest could make navigation of the Channel difficult for ships, but suggested that the structure would be sturdy enough that traffic would be unaffected if a boat collided with one of the struts.
The records do not show how seriously the government considered the plans.
(KMcA/SP)
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