Now Johnson looks at tunnel from England via Isle of Man

THE Government is considering a proposal to build a tunnel from England to Northern Ireland via the Isle of Man, according to a report in the Sunday Times newspaper.

The project would take considerably longer than a direct tunnel or a bridge between Larne and Portpatrick in Scotland, but would avoid Beaufort Dyke, a deep trench in the North Channel which was used as a massive munitions dump after World War Two.

The distance from England to the Isle of Man is around 50 miles.

From the island to here it is just over 30 miles.

This tunnel would not be vulnerable to bad weather, high winds or shipping accidents, which could close any bridge across the North Channel.

An Isle of Man route would also remove the expense of upgrading transport connections from central Scotland and from the M6 at Carlisle to the small Mull of Galloway port.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to be keen on the idea of a physical link between Northern Ireland and Britain.

He has asked experts led by Network Rail chairman Sir Stephen Hendy to advise on the viability of a range of options, including bridges and tunnels, for spanning the Irish Sea.

It’s thought the Isle of Man route would begin with a tunnel from the Co Down coast to the island, and then two further tunnels would link the Isle of Man to Heysham and Liverpool. The plan is an elaboration of a scheme first put forward last year by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Bill Grose, lead author of the ICE report, told the Sunday Times in 2020: “A tunnel starting north of Liverpool that surfaced in the Isle of Man and then went back under to reach Belfast would solve all the problems.

“Tunnels are less prone to bad weather, and construction is getting faster and cheaper every year.”

Mr Grose, a former chairman of the British Tunnelling Society, added: “As prices continue to fall, tunnels will become increasingly attractive as a way of connecting the UK.

“It costs about £50m per kilometre for a twin rail tunnel, but costs are falling.

“When we reduce them by another 50%, tunnelling will become popular and very long tunnels become feasible.

“Tunnels and bridges cost much the same, but tunnels are not prone to bad weather.”

Spanning the Irish Sea, whether by bridge or tunnel, is a major civil engineering challenge and would cost many billions of pounds.

Initial estimates put the bill at around £15bn. Critics say the money could be better spent on more pressing infrastructure needs.

The world’s longest railway tunnel is the 35-mile St Gotthard Base tunnel under the Swiss Alps, which opened in 2016.