Expert urges Sturgeon to back bridge plan
Top architect says £15bn NI-Scotland link feasible
A LEADING architect who first called for a bridge to link Northern Ireland and Scotland has urged Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to “set aside her differences” and work with Boris Johnson on the idea.
Professor Alan Dunlop, a fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, told Ms Sturgeon to consider backing the Prime Minister on a feasibility study into the merits of the multi-billion-pound project.
Professor Dunlop proposed the idea of a bridge in early 2018. This week Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he would not dismiss the idea but insisted the UK had to foot the bill.
He said “at the very least” a high-level engineering assessment could be carried out.
Mr Johnson and the DUP have previously spoken in favour of the project. Sinn Fein dismissed the idea as “fantasy politics”.
Speaking to Scottish newspaper The National, Professor
Dunlop said he was delighted to hear the Taoiseach’s support for the idea.
“I would urge our First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to put politics aside and do the same. A bridge to link Scotland and the UK to Ireland is a project fit for the 21st century,” he said.
“There is also interest in the project internationally. I’ve spoken about it with colleagues in the USA and on visits to Australia and China this year.
“We have the engineering and architectural talent here in Scotland to create such a structure. “Let’s look at it seriously.” Professor Dunlop has previously estimated the “Celtic bridge” would cost about £15bn.
Mr Varadkar revealed that in conversations with the Prime Minister, Mr Johnson said he expected the EU to pay for the bridge.
“So that’s definitely not going to happen,” he said, “because neither Northern Ireland or Scotland are going to be in the EU. But it was kind of half-serious, half-joking in a way.
“But all messing aside, I do think at the very least a high-level engineering assessment should be done as to whether it is a viable proposal.”
Professor Dunlop has proposed two potential routes — one from Larne and Portpatrick, potentially costing around £20bn, or a crossing between the Mull of Kintyre and Torr Head, potentially costing between £12bn and £15bn.
❝ We have engineering and architectural talent here in Scotland to create a structure such as this
As well as rough seas, bad weather and deep waters, one of the major obstacles to the build would be Beaufort Dyke, where millions of tonnes of wartime munitions are dumped.
The Scottish Government has said that it would “initiate discussions to explore improving connectivity” between the island of Ireland and Scotland.
It said it was important “that all options are fully considered”.