Tunnel to link Scotland and Northern Ireland drawn up by architect

An architect who has long championed a bridge linking Scotland and Northern Ireland has now drawn up his alternative vision of a tunnel to join the two.

A sea tunnel that would begin just north of Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway and be suspended from pontoons placed across the water has been proposed.

Professor Alan Dunlop, principal of Glasgow-based Alan Dunlop Architects, originally proposed a ‘Celtic Crossing’ bridge across the Irish Sea with his enthusiasm for the idea shared by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Now, Professor Dunlop has proposed a tunnel running from just north of Portpatrick after Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, suggested that a tunnel was an option favoured by the UK Government.

Professor Dunlop said his tunnel would break the coastal edge at Laird’s Bay and Port Mora, just north of Portpatrick and bring together traffic from the A77 and A75.

The tunnel would not be buried in the sea bed but suspended 12 metres below the wave line by pontoons, giving the tunnel an architectural presence above the water.

The pontoons would be connected to the sea bed by cable stays with the structure itself designed to harness marine tidal energy.

He said the sea tunnel would be a cheaper option that a bridge given that extremely deep pockets of water woud not need to be built across.

Professor Dunlop said: “The structure that supports the tunnel entrance to the sea looks like it might have risen from the rocks, fragments and mass of loose stones at the base of the sea cliffs that run all along the Galloway coastline.

“I believe it would be possible for a structure, tunnel or bridge to be designed to harness wave energy from the Irish Sea on a massive scale.

“So, in the drawing, pontoons support the tunnel below and are connected to the sea bed by cable stays. Each is set out to allow ships to pass through.

“Similar pontoon and tunnel structures are currently being developed and constructed as part of the Norwegian Coastal Highway, crossing fjords 500 metres deep but here the pontoons are designed also to generate tidal energy.”

A spokesperson for Mr Johnson said in February that government officials were looking into building a bridge.

However, this was contradicted by Mr Jack, who said earlier this month that the Prime Minister's proposal for a bridge was a ‘euphemism’ for a tunnel.

Two potential routes for the crossing have been suggested – from Portpatrick to Larne or from near Campbeltown to Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast.

Last month, it emerged that results of a feasibility study into the construction of a combined bridge and tunnel connection at the narrowest 20-mile gap between the British mainland and Northern Ireland will be reviewed by Mr Johnson.

The Scottish Government has expressed scepticism about the idea, citing ‘an obvious number of practical obstacles and challenges’ and the need for ‘a robust assessment of the costs or benefits’.

Plans for a link between Scotland and Northern Ireland go back to 1869.