THE IMPACT OF THE CHANNEL TUNNEL ON NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS

The Channel Tunnel project has already had a major impact on the environment and local economy of the coastal zone within Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The construction of the fixed link has also been a stimulus to the upgrading of the regional transport infrastructure, with the development of new motorway links and the high-speed rail system, linked to the tunnel. This paper examines the possible impact of these major developments within the context of a relatively depressed region of France. It is certainly possible that Nord-Pas-de-Calais will gain some economic benefit from the Channel Tunnel and related transport developments, but this is by no means inevitable, and much will depend on the ability of the region to exploit the new opportunities which exist. New transport links will be of greatest benefit to a limited number of well-served, nodal locations and it seems likely that this will lead to a further widening of the existing internal economic disparities within the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.