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Costings on bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland sought by Boris Johnson

Some of the proposed routes for a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland
Some of the proposed routes for a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland Some of the proposed routes for a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland

BORIS Johnson has told government officials to explore the possibility of building a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland, it has emerged.

Channel 4 News last night reported that both the Treasury and Department for Transport have been asked for advice on the costs and risks of such a project.

The prime minister wants to know "where this money could come from" and "the risks around the project", which include "WW2 munitions in the Irish Sea".

The idea was mooted by Mr Johnson last year, when he was Foreign Secretary, and was described by a civil engineer at the time as "about as feasible as building a bridge to the moon".

July 3 2019: Boris Johnson declines to commit to proposed bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland

Asked about the possibility of a bridge on BBC Radio 4 this morning, Business secretary Andrea Leadsom said: "There are amazing ambitions for the future.

"I'm not aware that that is one, but there are certainly a range of solutions to the Northern Ireland border and what's quite clear is we do not want the UK to be trapped in a customs union with no say on the rules. So we're working flat out to get a deal."

Read More: 'Bridge to Scotland was Simon Coveney's idea', claims Boris Johnson

The Department for Transport produced a "factual paper on the subject" after conversations between the DUP and former Secretary of State Chris Grayling.

DUP leader Arlene Foster last year told an Orange Order parade in Scotland that there was "growing support" for the project.

Read More: Bridge to Scotland 'about as feasible as building a bridge to the moon'