Boris Bridge scoping work underway, No 10 confirms
A “proper piece of work” looking into the feasibility of a bridge connecting mainland Britain with Northern Ireland is being carried out, Number 10 confirmed today.
The so-called Boris Bridge was first floated by the Prime Minister last year as a possible solution to the border issue caused by Brexit. However critics warned at the time that a 20-mile bridge between the two islands, most likely connecting Scotland with a village in County Antrim, would not remove the need for checks.
Read more: Bridge over troubled waters: Boris backs Scotland-to-Northern Ireland crossing
Despite this, government officials across Whitehall have been tasked with looking into the project as a way of demonstrating Boris Johnson’s commitment to greater connectivity across the United Kingdom, his spokesman said today.
“It’s an idea that the Prime Minister has expressed interest in in the past and as he said at the time, watch this space,” he added.
One version of the plan would be modelled on the Oresund Bridge, which runs for five miles from the Swedish coast near Malmo to an artificial island in the middle of the Oresund Strait, the Daily Mail has reported.
Read more: Final cost of Boris’ botched Garden Bridge project revealed
The government is expected to place huge emphasis on infrastructure projects in the coming months as part of its commitment to “level up”, with HS2 expected to be given formal Downing Street approval as early as tomorrow, CityAM understands.
Main image: Getty