NL-Outsidethebox [confederation]

http://www.canadianpond.ca/de-icer.html#top

Just a thought on how we can keep the Labrador ferry crossing open year round.

If this technology were to be expanded upon so that a tube were ran all the way across the Straite jacket of Belle Isle the air under the ice would definately either keep the run open enough for ice breaking capable ferries or open entirely due to the nature of air trapped under the ice eating away at the ice.

Now I know of no case where this has been used on such a scale but there are lots of examples of it being used around docks.

Since air is relatively cheap to produce and push through tubing the cost shouldn't be to prohibitive when you consider the losses due to our seasonal economy and losses due to crossing times and bad weather in the Gulf.

We would need compressors on both sides of the Straite Jacket of belle isle. Placed in such a way that a straite course could be followed by the ferries. Hence new docking facilities would be required. Placed so that if there ever was a fixed link to be built across the existing infrastructure could be utilized.

A two ferry system would be best for keeping the route open due to the increased traffic keeping the ice broken up. Two ferries would also cut down on wait times as well as provide a back up in case one ferry breaks down or needs repairs. There will still be a link but lowered capacity or increased crossings.

The air would only be needed for 3-4 months of the year.

Just a thought. This wouldn't be my first choice for linking Newfoundland and Labrador but it would be an economically iable short term solution I think until the TLH was completed and enough traffic built up to justify a fixed link.

Depending on the cost something like this could be used to keep a port open year round in Labrador either in Rigolet with a land link or HVGB.

Some of the factors I can see needing to be studied would be the current, whether to lay the pipe on the bottom or suspended, new docking facilities to allow for a straite run, can air be pushed 5 km in tubing and dispered equally?

Benefits
Year round economy with Labrador
Access to Labradors winter ski-dooing
Lower cost for Labradorians to travel to Newfoundland during the winter
Round trip tourism