Northern Ireland could be connected to mainland Britain with a £20 billion superbridge across the Irish Sea.
Proposals have been made for a crossing from Larne in County Antrim stretching the 25-mile gap to Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway.
THE GIANT CAUSEWAY Forget the English Channel… Northern Ireland and Scotland could soon be connected with a 25-mile superbridge
Calls for £20 billion crossing from Larne in Northern Ireland to the Scottish town of Portpatrick to create a 'Celtic powerhouse'
By Neal Baker
25th January 2018
The Sun
Northern Ireland could be connected to mainland Britain with a £20 billion superbridge across the Irish Sea.
Proposals have been made for a crossing from Larne in County Antrim stretching the 25-mile gap to Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway.
A 25 mile bridge from Larne in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick in Scotland has been proposed
The link was suggested after Boris Johnson called for a bridge across the English Channel to France — at its shortest a distance of 20 miles.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson and senior party figure Simon Hamilton called for serious consideration of the scheme yesterday.
Engineers have previously cast doubt on the feasibility of a bridge or tunnel.
But there are hopes that new technology coupled with the DUP's hold over the Conservatives — whom they are propping up with a "supply and demand" deal in the Commons — could make the bridge a reality.
The DUP's Sammy Wilson called for serious consideration of the Celt bridge
A DUP spokeswoman told The Times that a bridge could “act as a catalyst for developing further links between the two islands”.
Mr Wilson told the Belfast News Letter that it would “have a major positive impact on both countries economically”.
He added: “People used to think the Channel Tunnel was pie in the sky.
"This idea of a fixed crossing has been derided as nonsense for years, but it is entirely feasible from a technical point of view.”
Larne in County Antrim is thought to be ideal for a crossing point
Portpatrick is just 25 miles away from the NI port city of Larne
Alan Dunlop, a visiting professor at Liverpool University’s School of Architecture, said a bridge was possible and could create a “Celtic powerhouse”, The Times reported.
He added: "In terms of a crossing between Scotland and Northern Ireland, a Celtic connection, the coastline between each country is more sheltered and the waterway better protected [than the English Channel].
"Crucially, the north channel of the Irish Sea is not nearly as significant a shipping lane.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5411521/northern-ireland-bridge-scotland-superbridge-channel/
Proposals have been made for a crossing from Larne in County Antrim stretching the 25-mile gap to Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway.
THE GIANT CAUSEWAY Forget the English Channel… Northern Ireland and Scotland could soon be connected with a 25-mile superbridge
Calls for £20 billion crossing from Larne in Northern Ireland to the Scottish town of Portpatrick to create a 'Celtic powerhouse'
By Neal Baker
25th January 2018
The Sun
Northern Ireland could be connected to mainland Britain with a £20 billion superbridge across the Irish Sea.
Proposals have been made for a crossing from Larne in County Antrim stretching the 25-mile gap to Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway.
A 25 mile bridge from Larne in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick in Scotland has been proposed
The link was suggested after Boris Johnson called for a bridge across the English Channel to France — at its shortest a distance of 20 miles.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson and senior party figure Simon Hamilton called for serious consideration of the scheme yesterday.
Engineers have previously cast doubt on the feasibility of a bridge or tunnel.
But there are hopes that new technology coupled with the DUP's hold over the Conservatives — whom they are propping up with a "supply and demand" deal in the Commons — could make the bridge a reality.
The DUP's Sammy Wilson called for serious consideration of the Celt bridge
A DUP spokeswoman told The Times that a bridge could “act as a catalyst for developing further links between the two islands”.
Mr Wilson told the Belfast News Letter that it would “have a major positive impact on both countries economically”.
He added: “People used to think the Channel Tunnel was pie in the sky.
"This idea of a fixed crossing has been derided as nonsense for years, but it is entirely feasible from a technical point of view.”
Larne in County Antrim is thought to be ideal for a crossing point
Portpatrick is just 25 miles away from the NI port city of Larne
Alan Dunlop, a visiting professor at Liverpool University’s School of Architecture, said a bridge was possible and could create a “Celtic powerhouse”, The Times reported.
He added: "In terms of a crossing between Scotland and Northern Ireland, a Celtic connection, the coastline between each country is more sheltered and the waterway better protected [than the English Channel].
"Crucially, the north channel of the Irish Sea is not nearly as significant a shipping lane.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5411521/northern-ireland-bridge-scotland-superbridge-channel/
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