The Coastal Administration stated that they would not allow a pontoon bridge. SBT decided on 26 June 1987 to work towards receiving permission to collect advanced tolls on the ferry services. On 16 September, they unanimously supported the triangular proposal, which was estimated to cost NOK 660 million. This was criticized by Hordaland Public Roads Administration, who stated that it would take longer time to plan—and thus complete—the Triangle Link. A poll from January 1988 showed that 78.6 percent of the population of Bømlo wanted the Triangle Link, while 8.6 percent wanted the pontoon bridge. On 6 January, SBT started negotiating loans with various banks to receive financial guarantees for the Triangle Link, and by February sufficient funding had been secured.