A team of expert engineers enlisted by National Geographic acknowledged that Boris’ plans may be complicated, and over the estimated cost of £15bn, but the idea is not an impossibility.
Scottish architect Alan Dunlop suggested two possible routes for the linking of the two countries, firstly, a 12-mile crossing that would bridge shortest gap from Torr Head to the Mull of Kintyre. Secondly, a 26-mile crossing from Portpatrick to Larne.
Mr Dunlop proposed that the latter route would be more practical because of less remote ports and better road infrastructure at each side and suggested a cable-stayed or suspension bridge for the more shallow sections of the sea and a floating pontoon-style bridge fixed to the seabed for the deeper sections of crossings. Admitting that such a construction would be challenging, Mr Dunlop has confidence in the technology and the skilled work fore available in Scotland and Ireland to accomplish such a mission.
Ian Firth, a British structural engineer agrees that the longer route is a better option, but acknowledged the challenge lies at the bottom of the deep with the seabed depth. He outlined three possible designs which he suggests are viable options, including the unusual idea of a submerged tube – effectively an under-water tunnel – attached to floating pontoons at the surface or tethered by cables to the seabed below. Mr Firth remains convinced that this is aa doable task, that would be a first of its design, but not dissimilar to other bridges that have been constructed before.
Naeem Hussain, a global bridge design leader for Arup (an international engineering group), agreed that a Portpatrick-Larne bridge is very practical and possible but would require roads being ungraded on the Scottish side.
The expert estimates the cost to be between £20-£30bn!
