Unfortunatly, they keep looking at the wrong location for a highway crossing.
https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/bridge-fixed-link-vancouver-island-salish-sea
A further north option would make it a lot easier and cheaper to construct an 8 lane bridge and a 4 track train route.
There should have been plans by now to have a highway and train bridge providing a fast and efficient link between Powell+River and Campbell+River.
A possible route could go between Bliss+Landing, Cortes+Bay, Whaletown, Read+Island, Bold+Point, Heriot+Bay and North+Campbell+River.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Island_fixed_link , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sVUCNzodXU
https://www.change.org/p/ask-the-bc-government-to-study-a-fixed-link-to-vancouver-island
https://bcbusiness.ca/industries/general/fixed-link-idea-gets-a-brief-new-lifeagain/