How about a regional tunnel system?
Has anyone entertained the idea of studying the feasibility of an inter-island tunnel system? San Franciso has had a three-and-a-half mile long tunnel running trains under the bay for over 30 years. Several European nations with limited land mass construct short roads under the bays instead of using up valuable land for traditional roadways.
While the technology may limit the length of the tunnels and may not be a solution for a "straight shot" road out of Juneau to Skagway or Haines, inter-island tunnels with roads over land on the islands of the Inside Passage would certainly enable residents to travel more easily between communities. This solution could possibly bolster tourism by giving visitors more choices on how to travel to our beautiful state. Residents of Juneau would have more options of places to purchase property and still work in Juneau. We'd have more flat land that we could build homes on. Underwater communities can remain relatively undisturbed by dropping what equates from the exterior to a large rock onto the bottom of the Inside Passage. We could have reef communities miles long. Can we at least get a study to examine the possible environmental impact?
Valleri Collins
Juneau