Irish Sea tunnel could replace ‘Boris bridge’

Scottish secretary says building underneath water could solve many engineering issues

The “Boris bridge” between Scotland and Northern Ireland could end up being a tunnel, the Scottish secretary has revealed.

Alister Jack surprised Holyrood’s Europe committee yesterday when he said the talk of a “bridge” is “a euphemism for a link, which is a tunnel”.

He later indicated Mr Johnson backs the idea of digging a tunnel beneath the Irish Sea despite originally proposing a 22-mile bridge between Portpatrick and Larne.

Mr Jack claimed a tunnel would overcome many of the problems associated with building a bridge and would strengthen the Union.

According to Mr Jack, Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster is “very enthusiastic” about the radical idea and he suggested the tunnel could be completed by 2030.

Mr Johnson has yet to formally go for the tunnel option, but should he do so, the next stage would be the production of a feasibility study.

Mr Jack was unable to give a figure on how much the project would cost, saying informal estimates had “varied dramatically”.

“It’s no different to the tunnels connecting the Faroes, it’s not different to the tunnels underneath the fjords. ALISTER JACK

Experts had suggested a tunnel would be cheaper than a bridge, Mr Jack said.

“It’s not a bridge that I’m keen on, it’s a tunnel,” Mr Jack said.

“It’s no different to the tunnels connecting the Faroes, it’s not different to the tunnels underneath the fjords... the bridge for me is a euphemism for a link, which is a tunnel.”

Mr Jack was asked if people could be “asphyxiated” in such a tunnel.

The Scottish secretary replied that it would be the same length as the Channel Tunnel.

“We’re not asphyxiating them as best I know at the moment in the Channel Tunnel,” he added.

At a briefing afterwards, Mr Jack explained that the stormy weather over the Irish Sea could result in a bridge being closed 100 days a year.

There was also the problem of bridging Beaufort’s Dyke, the 30-milelong subsea trench which runs between Scotland and Northern Ireland at a depth of 300m.

Another major challenge for bridge building is the huge amounts of wartime munitions dumped in the Irish Sea – as much as 1.15 million tons.

“A tunnel going through the rockhead deals with all those problems and is the sensible way forward,” Mr Jack said.

In the past, the Scottish Government has been sceptical about the UK Government’s plans to build a transport link between Scotland and Northern Ireland, arguing that £20 billion on a bridge would be better spent elsewhere.

On the question of a tunnel, Nicola Sturgeon’s spokesman said it would be a “gigantic undertaking” that would require a “colossal” amount of money.

Green MSP Ross Greer dismissed the idea as “pure fantasy”.

Picture: PA. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack surprised Holyrood yesterday by saying he supported building a tunnel between Scotland and Northern Ireland instead of a bridge.