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![Irish Sea tunnels](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Irish_Sea_tunnels.jpg)
The Irish Sea Bridge, sometimes called the Celtic Crossing by the media, is a hypothetical rail and road bridge that would span the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
and connect the island of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
to the island of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. It is one of a number of such
proposed fixed sea links across the British Isles. The bridge's length would depend upon the route taken; one such route, known as the Galloway route, would cross the
North Channel North Channel may refer to:
*North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)
*North Channel (Ontario), body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, Canada
*North Channel, Hong Kong
*Canal du Nord, France
{{geodis ...
, close to that taken by an existing ferry service, between
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village and civil parish in the historical county of Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway. The parish is about in length and in breadth, covering .
History ...
in
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...
, and
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
in
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, a distance of .
The concept of an Irish Sea Bridge had been proposed many times since the Victorian Era. In 2018 Professor
Alan Dunlop at the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
revived the idea. By February 2020, British government officials began scoping the possible route and type of crossing. Particular risks to such a project include the depth of North Channel and the presence of a large underwater
munitions dump at
Beaufort's Dyke
Beaufort's Dyke is a natural trench within the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. The dyke is long, wide and deep.
The trench is recorded in 1856 as having been discovered "some years ago" by a Captain Beechey.
Geomorphol ...
. It was suggested that these problems would be mitigated in part by the construction of a tunnelled section.
A full feasibility study was published in November 2021.
[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1035650/a-fixed-link-between-great-britain-and-northern-ireland-technical-feasibility.pdf ] It estimated that a bridge would cost £335 billion, and a tunnel £209 billion. The study concluded that, although the technology exists to build either, any bridge would be “
the longest span bridge built to date” and the tunnel would be “
the longest undersea tunnel ever built”.
Concept
Proposal
The idea for a Scotland to Northern Ireland Bridge, sometimes branded in the press as the "Celtic Crossing" or "Irish Sea Bridge", was revived in 2018, by Professor Alan Dunlop at the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
.
He proposed a combined road and rail crossing between
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village and civil parish in the historical county of Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway. The parish is about in length and in breadth, covering .
History ...
, in Dumfries and Galloway, and
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
in Northern Ireland, stating that "the coastline between each country is more sheltered and the waterway better protected" than the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
, where, as
Foreign Secretary
The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
,
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
had speculated on a possible bridge. He suggested that this would create a 'Celtic powerhouse' due to the potential for an increase in trade between the two countries, and the increase in
investment from the construction of the project which he put at between £15 billion and £20 billion (a fraction of the £120 billion cost of the proposed bridge over the English Channel).
At the Urbanism at Borders Conference in Aberdeen, Professor Dunlop later pitched the idea of the bridge at a keynote speech to an audience of international academics, architects, and engineers at Robert Gordon University.
Engineering
![Beaufort's_Dyke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Beaufort%27s_Dyke.jpg)
Proposals to overcome the problems presented by the
Beaufort's Dyke
Beaufort's Dyke is a natural trench within the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. The dyke is long, wide and deep.
The trench is recorded in 1856 as having been discovered "some years ago" by a Captain Beechey.
Geomorphol ...
Trench, if it could not be cleared, include floating the bridge on deep connecting
sea orb
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of water, body of saline water, salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote List of seas, second-order sections of ...
s connected to the seabed with tension cables, similar to those used on bridges in Norway.
Professor Dunlop also suggested that the construction processes used for the
Øresund Bridge
The Öresund or Øresund Bridge ( da, Øresundsbroen ; sv, Öresundsbron ; hybrid name: ) is a combined railway and motorway bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and rai ...
be looked at as a model for such a bridge.
[ The Øresund bridge had, by 2018, provided a £10 bn return on its initial investment. However, it has 3 million people living within either end of the bridge, and the North Channel does not have a local population of this size.] Furthermore the Øresund Bridge was built in waters not over deep.
Other suggestions for overcoming issues linked to Beaufort's Dyke have subsequently included a partially tunneled section (similar to that of the Øresund Bridge), or incorporating artificial island
An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those tha ...
s to link tunnels to the bridge.
It has also been suggested that such a bridge or tunnel would be able to link up with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was authorised by Act of Parliament on 4 July 1838. It was opened to passenger traffic on 21 February 1842, between its Glasgow Queen Street railway station (sometimes referred to at first as Dundas Street) and ...
and a possible Belfast to Dublin high speed rail being studied for viability as of 2020. The different rail gauges in Great Britain () and the island of Ireland () are mutually incompatible however, so this would have to be resolved with a break of gauge
With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge (the distance between the rails, or between the wheels of trains designed to run on those rails) meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock generally cannot ...
system such as transshipment, bogie exchange, dual gauge rolling stock or Gauge Changer
A variable gauge system allows railway vehicles in a train to travel across a break of gauge between two railway networks with different track gauges.
For through operation, a train must be equipped with special bogies holding variable gauge wh ...
axles such as the Talgo
Talgo (officially Patentes Talgo, SAU) is a Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high-speed passenger trains.
Corporate history
TALGO, an abbreviation of Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol (English: ''Lightweight articulated tra ...
-RD system amongst others. Rail industry leaders in the UK's High Speed Rail Group have demonstrated support for the tunnel proposal.
By October 2018, the first concept images of the proposed bridge had been released.
Economics
'' The National'', a Scottish newspaper, suggested the idea "would be a huge boost to the economies of both countries, opening up trade and putting the otherwise neglected far South West of Scotland in the centre of a major route". It did, however, also state that, "There would have to be massive investment in infrastructure to upgrade the road and rail connections, especially on the Scottish side. The main roads leading to Stranraer are narrow, twisting, and unsuited for the amount of traffic that they currently have, never mind the increased traffic that would be generated by a fixed link. The single rail line from Ayr
Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
to Stranraer
Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...
would have to be upgraded and electrified, and the rail link from Stranraer to Dumfries reinstated". It has been suggested that the A75 road
The A75 is a primary trunk road in Scotland, linking Stranraer and its ferry ports at Cairnryan with the A74(M) at Gretna, close to the border with England and the M6 motorway.
Route
Heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its ju ...
would need to be upgraded to handle the additional traffic; however, the Scottish government and Department for Transport had already received local requests to hold consultation on upgrading this road. In terms of its potential to link up communities and improve infrastructure Professor Dunlop has also noted the similarities between such a bridge and the Norwegian Coastal Highway, which forms a route crossing 20 fjords between Kristiansand and Trondheim, with 9 ferries but suggested to be using floating bridges and tunnels at a cost of around £30bn.
Further support has come from the fact that this part of Scotland has a large number of established ports and harbours
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, meaning it could form an epicenter for trade to America, Canada, the Caribbean and Scandinavia for both Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the UK, Ireland and Europe more generally. It was also suggested that depending on the relationship of Scotland and Northern Ireland with the EU after Brexit the EU could use the port at Cockenzie
Cockenzie and Port Seton ( sco, Cockennie ; gd, Cùil Choinnich, meaning "cove of Kenneth") is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles east of Musselburgh. The burgh of Cockenzie was created ...
and the Scotland-Ireland bridge as a means of transporting EU goods to Ireland via the Netherlands. By early October 2019 it was reported that the Scottish government had plans to re-purpose the nearby disused port at Stranraer as a lorry park in the event of a "No Deal" Brexit, due to concerns about traffic flows from Northern Ireland. It has been suggested that a bridge could help alleviate some of the potential pressure of traffic flows.
Commentators in the ''i'' newspaper also suggested that such a bridge would have the potential to create a "tourism corridor" between Northern Ireland and Scotland. It has also been suggested that with increasing demand for travel between Great Britain and the island of Ireland (London to Dublin being the busiest air route in Europe), that the bridge could have a positive environmental impact by reducing the demand for flights.
The Glasgow Urban Laboratory had published a report suggesting that a high-speed rail link connecting Edinburgh to Dublin via Glasgow and Belfast would be "transformative" for the economies of both Scotland and Ireland saying, "fast-track rail links, both within Scotland and linking to other countries, and an updated road system, are priorities". Senior economist Esmond Birnie at the University of Ulster
sco, Ulstèr Universitie
, image = Ulster University coat of arms.png
, caption =
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng =
, latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae
, established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
claimed that "Recent economic theory has emphasised the advantages of "agglomeration" arising from faster, cheaper transport: bigger and better labour markets and increased networking between firms" and put the annual benefit from the bridge in the hundreds of millions.
Political and public support
So far the project has at various times received support from senior politicians in both the UK and in Ireland, and across a number of political parties. The project has also received support from newspapers, periodicals, and engineering and logistics trade bodies.
Support
The project was first endorsed in late February 2018 by SNP Scottish Brexit Minister Michael Russell MSP, who when addressing the Republic of Ireland's Seanad joint committee on European Union affairs stated that "I think it's a great idea, it would open up my constituency and that's a good headline to see. There is a lot of talking to be done about that but I think it is important that talking starts. I know recent coverage indicates that it should happen".
In February 2018, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney (born 16 June 1972) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment since December 2022 and Deputy Leader of Fine Gael since 2017. He previously served as Minister for Foreign Affai ...
, publicly called for a feasibility study into the bridge during an address at Chatham House
Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is ...
following a meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, suggesting it was a means of nurturing the relations between the United Kingdom and Ireland, despite the challenges presented.
By March 2018, the idea appeared to have the full support of the Scottish government, with a spokesman telling the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
that it intended to "initiate discussions" on the bridge with
both parties in Belfast, and the government of Ireland. and that Transport Scotland officials would be conducting talks with their counterparts in Northern Ireland. Mike Russell MSP said he had been in touch with Professor Alan Dunlop to discuss the bridge, claiming that "A bridge, together with better road links to the central belt, would open up Argyll in a dramatic new way" and that he was "keen to see public bodies investigate the feasibility of such a link". He went on to claim that
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE; gd, Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean) is the development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. Its role is to "hel ...
and Transport Scotland were willing to contribute funds towards a feasibility study.
By April 2018, the Mayor of
Mid and East Antrim
Ulster Scots: ''Mid an East Anthrim''
, settlement_type = District
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_type1 = Constituent country
, subdivision_type2 =
, subdivision_type3 =
, subdivision ...
had extended an invitation, on behalf of the council, to the relevant bodies in the government to further explore Larne as the possible end site for the bridge. The Mayor cited the short distance to Belfast, as well as the county's extensive film, tourism and leisure industries as reasons for consideration. On 25 April 2018 Ards and North Down Borough Council voted to write to the Scottish government, the
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
, and the
Department for Infrastructure requesting the east coast of the borough also be considered as a possible end site for the bridge. The council's official opposition had objected to the request, claiming that the council should instead support the claim of neighbouring county Mid and East Antrim, as they believe the infrastructure already exists in Larne, while
Donaghadee
Donaghadee ( , ) is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles (10 km) south east of Bangor. It is in the civil parish of Donaghadee and t ...
would be unprepared for the impact of such a bridge. The ''Belfast Telegraph'' suggested that this was reminiscent of ancient rivalries between the local ports. A spokesman for the Scottish government suggested that speculation on possible impacts on specific sites was premature as the project, including the design for the crossing, was still in its early stages. A spokesman for the Scottish government had previously stated that “Given the scale of any such fixed link, it is important that all options are fully considered”. In July,
Arlene Foster
Arlene Isobel Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (née Kelly; born 17 July 1970), is a British broadcaster and politician from Northern Ireland who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2021 and ...
, then former First Minister in Northern Ireland, agreed that there appeared to be a growing support for the bridge in Northern Ireland.
In August 2018,
Jane Morrice
Jane Morrice (born 11 May 1954) is a Northern Irish politician and journalist who helped architect the Good Friday Agreement. She is the former Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, former Head of the European Commission Office in Nort ...
, former Deputy Speaker to the Northern Irish Assembly, suggested that funding possibilities for the bridge were "vast", with private investors seeking infrastructure projects and investment from China. She also suggested funding could be raised from "EU sources
hich
Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
could include the cross-border INTERREG programme, the European Investment Bank, the TransEuropean Network and HORIZON 2020. The EU PEACE programme could be another valuable source because the bridge would still respect the Good Friday Agreement by promoting peace and prosperity in the region." She claimed that "The political and symbolic importance of such a link can't be underestimated, and the economic, social and cultural advantages could be significant".
In 2018, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Karen Bradley
Karen Anne Bradley (''née'' Howarth, born 12 March 1970) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2018 to 2019, and has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Staffordshire Moorland ...
responding to questions in parliament suggested that the bridge was being discussed by the
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
.
In 2019,
First Minister of Scotland
The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chairs ...
Nicola Sturgeon spoke out in favour of the bridge, stating that "Whether it's around a bridge or in other ways strengthening the relationship between Scotland, the north of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a big priority for my government."
As part of his campaign for the
2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Boris Johnson suggested that he supported the construction of the bridge, describing himself as "an enthusiast for that idea", and adding that he believed it would be best "championed by local people with local consent and interest, backed by local business".
In September 2019, when asked to comment on the project, the
Andrea Leadsom
Dame Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (; ' Salmon; born 13 May 1963) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Northamptonshire since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Environ ...
said the UK had "amazing ambitions for the future".
''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''s Europe Correspondent suggested that the UK was lagging behind by not taking the construction of the bridge seriously, suggesting that other countries had already invested in such bridges. The newspaper cited the example of Japan's islands of
Honshu
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
and
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, which are linked by the
Seikan Tunnel
The Seikan Tunnel ( ja, 青函トンネル, or , ), is a dual-gauge railway tunnel in Japan, with a portion under the seabed of the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Aomori Prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu from the northern isla ...
which exceeds the length of the proposed bridge. It also cited the examples of the
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
The Fehmarn Belt fixed link ( da, Femern Bælt-forbindelsen, german: Fehmarnbelt-Querung) or Fehmarn Belt tunnel is an under-construction immersed tunnel, which will connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn, cros ...
and the
Helsinki-Tallinn Tunnel as evidence that the UK was lagging behind comparative European nations.
While addressing supporters for the bridge in Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is quoted as having said "With infrastructure projects, finance is not the issue, the issue is political will, the issue is getting the business community to see that this could be something that works for them, the issue is getting popular demand and popular consent for a great infrastructure project – and that is why you need
Stormont."
In late September 2019, a group of engineers wrote to ''
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' magazine agreeing that it was "technically possible and far from unrealistic to build" the bridge.
In October 2019, Irish Taoiseach
Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
said "Prime Minister Johnson is genuinely interested in taking a serious look at this idea of building a bridge between Antrim and Scotland...I know people dismiss it, but I don't. It needs to be looked at. It needs to be at least examined". He later added "I know people dismiss these things out of hand, but they used to dismiss the Channel Tunnel as well – the idea of building a tunnel between France and Britain – and I know what I see when I see a bridge tunnel between Denmark and Sweden, when you fly over New Orleans and you see 110 miles of bridge, it's extraordinary".
In March 2020,
Secretary of State for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
Alister Jack
Alister William Jack (born 7 July 1963) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Scotland since 2019. A member of the Scottish Conservatives, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017.
Ear ...
told the Scottish Parliament that he supported a fixed link.
In October 2020, specialist vehicle suppliers looked at which potential future engineering innovations would be most welcomed by truck drivers with the Irish Sea Bridge being one of the most supported.
In February 2021, it was reported that both transport industry
think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...
Greengauge 21 and rail industry leaders in
The High Speed Rail Group supported a fixed link.
Opposition
Other politicians and public officials have opposed the bridge, such as Conservative Party MP
Simon Hoare
Simon James Hoare (born 28 June 1969) is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dorset since May 2015.
Education
Hoare was educated at the Bishop Hannon High School, Cardiff, a Roman Catho ...
and
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
leader
Steve Aiken.
Minister of Infrastructure Nichola Mallon
Nichola Mallon (born 23 August 1979) is an Irish politician from Northern Ireland serving as Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) since 2017. She served as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast No ...
of the
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) ( ga, Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is a social-democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland ...
has also expressed opposition to the proposals. Mallon's counterpart, and former Scottish Transport Secretary
Michael Matheson has described the concept as a "vanity project", and stated that it would not proceed within
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
's lifetime.
In July 2021, Boris Johnson's own former Chief Advisor
Dominic Cummings
Dominic Mckenzie Cummings (born 25 November 1971) is a British political strategist who served as Chief Adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 24 July 2019 until Cummings resigned on 13 November 2020.
From 2007 to 2014, he was a ...
controversially claimed that the plan did not have a credible basis beyond Johnson's desire to appear to be "getting things done". In a BBC interview, he stated that “He didn't have a plan ... he didn't have an agenda. You know, the Prime Minister's only agenda is buy more trains, buy more buses, have more bikes and build the world's most stupid tunnel to Ireland, that's it."
Issues relating to Beaufort's Dyke
In October 2018, MP
Paul Girvan
William Paul Girvan (born 6 July 1963) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Antrim since 2017.
He was elected to Newtownabbey Borough Council in 1997, and from 2002 to 2004 s ...
, transport spokesman for the DUP wrote an article in support of the bridge, stating that the munitions dumped in Beaufort's Dyke after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, often cited as a hurdle for the bridge project, are already washing up on beaches in Ireland and the UK and so a cleanup operation was already necessary regardless of whether the bridge was going to be built.
In November 2018, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Karen Bradley
Karen Anne Bradley (''née'' Howarth, born 12 March 1970) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2018 to 2019, and has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Staffordshire Moorland ...
indicated the government was aware of the issues, such as munitions and waste, regarding the seabed in this area, and that it was being discussed by cabinet as part of wider discussions around the bridge.
In November 2020, a study carried out on behalf of the UK & Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) found that nuclear waste had been deposited in Beaufort's Dyke, with much of it “short-dumped” outside of the Dyke itself, leading to uncertainty over how much radioactive material lies in the trench. NFLA campaigners described the report as “alarming” and called on authorities in Britain and Ireland to review measures designed to protect ferries, oil tankers and fishing trawlers that operate near the Dyke. A British Geological Survey also confirmed that explosions generated by degrading munitions are a relatively frequent occurrence. This prompted calls for authorities to clear the Dyke.
In November 2020, further support came for a fixed link to reduce sea traffic and avoid the issue of ship collisions with submarines navigating near the dyke for testing. This followed a report from the
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is a UK government organisation, authorised to investigate all maritime accidents in UK waters and accidents involving UK registered ships worldwide. Investigations are limited to establishing cau ...
which reported an incident of a passenger ferry almost colliding with a submarine.
In November 2021, South Scotland MSP
Emma Harper sought agreement from the UK government that a full safety assessment would be carried out of Beaufort’s Dyke, and asked for assurances that after the A75 road upgrade and the possible construction of a new nuclear power station in England, the UK Government would not once again consider Beaufort’s Dyke as a nuclear waste dumping site.
Development
In 2019, Boris Johnson had requested civil servants in the
Treasury
A treasury is either
*A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry.
*A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or in p ...
and
Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
undertake a cost and risk analysis of the proposed bridge, with special attention to be paid to possible funding options. The Department for Transport had reportedly already produced a factual paper on the subject for a former transport secretary.
By February 2020, British government officials had been tasked with scoping out the full cost of building the bridge, though Number 10 would not confirm how many civil servants were working on the project.
In June 2020, Downing Street confirmed that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained committed to the project. Following a freedom of information request questions were raised by the media as to whether the project had been shelved while civil servants were focused elsewhere during the
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. A Cabinet Office spokesman responded that the bridge continued to be considered “at a very early stage”, but that it remained a consideration as part of many “general options to improve connectivity between the nations of the UK”. The Prime Minister's spokesman later confirmed that the government remained committed to the bridge, stating “We have commissioned some internal work and we are looking at the feasibility of it, there's no change to that. The prime minister's views on this subject are very well known.”
At the end of June Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government announced that the funding for the bridge was being considered as part of their post-COVID-19 plan to revitalize the economy by increasing and improving the UK's infrastructure.
Hendy review
In October 2020, it was announced that
Sir Peter Hendy would lead an independent review into the feasibility of various projects designed to improve the UK's infrastructure. This would include the Irish Sea Bridge. The analysis on the bridge would be undertaken by
Douglas Oakervee
Sir Douglas Edwin Oakervee FHKIE (born December 1940) is a British civil engineer who is a past chairman of both High Speed 2 and Crossrail, and was the 139th president of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was awarded the CBE in 2010 for hi ...
. Oakervee had expressed concern that since the collapse of
Flybe
Flybe (pronounced ), styled as flybe, is a British airline based at Birmingham Airport, England.
History
The airline traces its history back to Jersey European Airways, which was set up in 1979 following the merger of Intra Airways and Expre ...
there are fewer opportunities to travel from Great Britain to the island of Ireland and that a rail bridge or tunnel could do something about the issue.
In March 2021, Sir Peter Hendy's interim report recommended a full feasibility study be undertaken by engineers into the bridge. As a result, two engineers assessed the potential project, to build an outline of cost and timescale and the associated works needed. The two engineers appointed were Douglas Oakervee, (former chairman of HS2 and Crossrail), and Gordon Masterson, (former vice-president of Jacobs Engineering). The full cost of the review was £896,681 according to figures from the Department for Transport.
In September 2021, unidentified sources within the British Treasury informed the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' that regardless of the findings of the feasibility study the bridge or tunnel would likely be one of the early casualties of the spending review led by then
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak (; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two Cabinet of ...
describing it to be "dead, at least for now" as a project.
The feasibility study was published in November 2021. It estimated that a bridge would cost £335 billion, and a tunnel £209 billion. The report concluded that the cost of the fixed link, in either form, was "impossible to justify", and though noted "the economic viability of the provision of such a link is not within the scope of
hestudy", recommended that "further work on the fixed link should not progress beyond this feasibility study". The study estimated that the bridge would take thirty years to construct, and would require "very significant
oad and railworks" on either side.
The report did note that the project would "likely give rise to more than 35,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for the design and construction phase alone" and could "revitalise parts of the United Kingdom’s industry". From an environmental standpoint it was noted that the bridge should be "carbon neutral within 40 to 60 years after construction", and as a "bridge could be used as a platform to generate renewable energy from wind, tidal and solar sources", while as a tunnel "could be a heat source through the tunnel lining for its whole length". It was also suggested that a fixed link "would allow cabled and piped utilities and services to replace current seabed crossings with enhanced reliability and reduced maintenance".
See also
*
Proposed British Isles fixed sea link connections
There are a number of proposed fixed connections—road or rail, bridge or tunnel—designed to connect the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, connect the island of Great Britain to mainland Europe, as well as to build other connections among ...
*
Øresund Bridge
The Öresund or Øresund Bridge ( da, Øresundsbroen ; sv, Öresundsbron ; hybrid name: ) is a combined railway and motorway bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and rai ...
between Sweden and Denmark
*
List of longest bridges
This is a list of the world's longest bridges that are more than in length sorted by their full length above land and water. The main span is the longest span without any ground support.
'' Note: There is no standard way to measure the total l ...
*
High Speed 2
High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages. The new line will run from its m ...
*
Garden Bridge
The Garden Bridge project was an unsuccessful private proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the River Thames in London, England. Originally an idea of Joanna Lumley, and strongly supported by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the designer Tho ...
*
London Britannia Airport
A potential Thames Estuary Airport has been proposed at various times since the 1940s. London's existing principal airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, are each sub-optimally located in various ways, such as being too close to built-up area ...
*
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...
*
Floating suspension bridge
References
{{Use dmy dates, date=September 2020
Irish Sea
Proposed bridges in the United Kingdom
Bridges in Ireland
Proposed transport infrastructure in Scotland
Tunnels in the Republic of Ireland
Proposed undersea tunnels in Europe
Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border
Borders of Scotland