Work 'under way' into Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge feasibility

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
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See yon weather this weekend past.
Just another Borris splaffing session.

Yes, Boris has a predilection for bridges. I recall a bridge to France and a Garden Bridge to name but two. And now to Ireland too. I presume Boris had a Meccano set as a child. As a first class Classics scholar I assume, quite maliciously, his knowledge of mechanical and civil engineering is a little less than his oratorical skills honed on Homer. So we have to thank the Conservative and Brexit Party for HS2 and now a Bridge to Ireland. Gracious. All good fun.
 
It would be handy for me but I'd guess it's highly unlikely even for the Larne route to be carried out.

Ballycastle to Kintyre is totally insane, North Antrim hasn't got much going on and Ballycastle is 15 miles from a dual carriageway.
Campbelltown is 3 hours from Glasgow and 4 hours from Edinburgh and the only main road in and out of the peninsula is susceptible to landslips and bad weather.
It would be quicker to get the ferry from larne to Cairnryan If traveling from England (and most of Scotland) to NI.

Does the 20 billion cover the cost of customs checks :ROFLMAO:
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Be nice if the Conservative and Brexit Party would repair the surface of the A1. Having journeyed today down to Cambridge and back the surface is breaking up quite badly on the inside lane in several places from Peterborough North. Hey ho.

Labour built the Humber Bridge to secure a by election win. Suppose this is the Tories!
 

fudge

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire.
This is a profound mistake. Once the Folks have united Ireland they will annex Scotland. Meanwhile the British army will have to get off the train at Birmingham. Utter shambles.
 
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Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
This is a profound mistake. Once the folks have united Ireland they will annex Scotland. Meanwhile the British army will have to get off the train at Birmingham. Utter shambles.

But they will at the very least get to Birmingham in double quick time! Assuming correct High Speed leaves on the line. And then can take the 'being phased out' Pacer trains northwards, or the the cobbled roads, as the bridge has sucked so much cash from the budget no other road resurfacing occurred from 2021 to 2036 when the bridge opened. The electric vehicles also experienced difficulties as the Fenians cleverly used a period of high pressure with little wind to launch the invasion attack.
 
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Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
A bridge doesn't strike me as that crazy, bigger ones have been built elsewhere in the world. What is wrong with infrastructure spending?


The Labour Party built a bridge to help win a by election. A truly magnificent structure. The longest single span bridge in the world at the time. So a bridge for gerrymandering has form in the UK.

Insofar as infrastructure spend is concerned what about maintaining what we have? I travelled to Cambridge today. Along the A1 from Peterborough north the surface is breaking up badly in a number of places. And this is mirrored in many roads. But I suppose Boris has a predilection for bridges and maintenance spend is not a sey.
 
A bridge doesn't strike me as that crazy, bigger ones have been built elsewhere in the world. What is wrong with infrastructure spending?
Nothing wrong if it makes sense to do it, I don't know the numbers or if they are up.
I'd guess not.

The Kintyre route is the craziest idea in the history of crazy, with no offence to Kintyre or north Antrim people intended.
 

Danllan

Member
Location
Sir Gar / Carms
We've spent the last fifty years subsidising the infrastructural development of our nearest competitors, to the tune of half a trillion pounds at current rates and prices...

The channel tunnel was rubbished by many for a long time, other constructions have been too and yet they have succeeded. I simply don't have sufficient engineering understanding to say whether this is viable or not. But I've read the opinions of both engineers and architects who say it's a goer if the will to build it is there.

For myself, the more connected the various parts of the UK are, the better. However, I'd start with a public subsidy of ferry prices around the whole of the UK, brining them down to whatever the cost would be for driving the equivalent distance - that would truly level the playing field nationally for businesses.

After that, I see no problem with increasing links across the Union and stimulating the economy by projects such as this. But I think the Larne to Portpatrick route to be the obvious choice if it is possible.
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
We've spent the last fifty years subsidising the infrastructural development of our nearest competitors, to the tune of half a trillion pounds at current rates and prices...

The channel tunnel was rubbished by many for a long time, other constructions have been too and yet they have succeeded. I simply don't have sufficient engineering understanding to say whether this is viable or not. But I've read the opinions of both engineers and architects who say it's a goer if the will to build it is there.

For myself, the more connected the various parts of the UK are, the better. However, I'd start with a public subsidy of ferry prices around the whole of the UK, brining them down to whatever the cost would be for driving the equivalent distance - that would truly level the playing field nationally for businesses.

After that, I see no problem with increasing links across the Union and stimulating the economy by projects such as this. But I think the Larne to Portpatrick route to be the obvious choice if it is possible.


Some comments lifted from The Times Online comment section.

Boris could build plenty new hospitals, schools and youth centres to drastically cut knive crime with this £20 Billion. Some first time buyers housing be welcome also. Northern Transport suggestions The approach on the whole A75 in SW Scotland is very poor for such a busy route. Dual the road, lots ferry traffic. A7 needs drastically improved A701 Bigger to Edinburgh needs drastically improved. A69 Carlisle to Newcastle fully dualed also overdue. A66 needs lot improvement also. Liverpool airport surrounding areas rail link to South Parkway railway station Glasgow airport badly needs rail/ road rail link to city. Surrounding areas Glasgow airport ripe for investment, it's like a shantytown in places towards Paisley.

As you can probably gather my first reaction is similar to those above. The money could be spent more widely and more effectively. The Conservative and Brexit Party newest besties in Sedgefield and Stoke must be wondering when they get a little of the glitter - surely this project was penned when Bojo still needed Arlene's support? Spoken as a Lincolnshire oik who has damaged wheel rims!
 
The Labour Party built a bridge to help win a by election. A truly magnificent structure. The longest single span bridge in the world at the time. So a bridge for gerrymandering has form in the UK.

Insofar as infrastructure spend is concerned what about maintaining what we have? I travelled to Cambridge today. Along the A1 from Peterborough north the surface is breaking up badly in a number of places. And this is mirrored in many roads. But I suppose Boris has a predilection for bridges and maintenance spend is not a sey.

I agree we should have major road improvement schemes going now.

However, these bigger national projects are rarely commercially viable which is why the government needs to use tax payer cash to make them happen. First there is the economic stimulation they cause, second is the improvement it makes to the country. The Chinese do not concern themselves with the commercial validity of all their plans. They take up tools and do it. Britain did that once. We split the atom and took on huge national projects, even in the post ear years when we were utterly skint. We need to get the country back into the spirit of that.
 

Danllan

Member
Location
Sir Gar / Carms
The first thing Boris did as PM was to appoint himself Minister for the Union. The quote given by @Hindsight lists things that all governments can always throw money at, and there will never be enough to satisfy some. If Boris puts my tax money into national infrastructure which, quite apart from the benefit of any given project itself, stimulates the economy and gives a boost to national self-confidence*, I'm fine with that. This bridge will cost the equivalent of a couple of years EU membership, yet it will link NI to GB physically and permanently, I say that's money well spent. :)


*Which a lot of left-liberal-Europhiles demonstrably always want to talk down.
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
The first thing Boris did as PM was to appoint himself Minister for the Union. The quote given by @Hindsight lists things that all governments can always throw money at, and there will never be enough to satisfy some. If Boris puts my tax money into national infrastructure which, quite apart from the benefit of any given project itself, stimulates the economy and gives a boost to national self-confidence*, I'm fine with that. This bridge will cost the equivalent of a couple of years EU membership, yet it will link NI to GB physically and permanently, I say that's money well spent. :)


*Which a lot of left-liberal-Europhiles demonstrably always want to talk down.


I appreciate your angle. And I vaguely understand Keynesian economics. Money spent on anything primes the economy, if I recall, doesn't have t be a single big ticket item.

I also see a national road infrastructure collapsing around me, among other things. Only a few weeks ago the Tories were promising to build houses. Now it is a bridge.

Here in the East Midlands alone I could set to with all those bridge building guys and spend the money on mending roads - bringing the same if not broader employment benefits and tangible transport benefits to an area of 6 million people. The problem with high profile single spends is it will suck the budget - we see it with Trident taking a chunk of defence spending - then the warriors chuntering there is not enough to pay for basics. And same will occur with a bridge to NI.

Nope we will beg to disagree. I note the Europhile slur. Somewhere I think I possess a Union Jack flag to wrap around me on cold nights. My national self-confidence is dented every day when I see the state of Lincolnshire pot holed roads, truly embarrassing. A massive bridge for politicians (Nationalists) to pose by wearing high vis having photos for the Daily Telegraph while everything else is going to rack and ruin borders on madness in my book

Incidentally, it does bemuse me that we, apparently, have a Keynesian in Johnson spending the dosh, talking of tax rise, when the Tory press dissed and destroyed a Corbyn McDonnel Labour Party for shaming to say similar a few weeks ago. History is written by the victors.

Hey ho. Bridge it is and HS2 too. I had just better keep remembering where the pot holes are locally to avoid.

As I say, fear we shall beg to disagree. Cheers.
 

caveman

Member
Location
East Sussex.
I appreciate your angle. And I vaguely understand Keynesian economics. Money spent on anything primes the economy, if I recall, doesn't have t be a single big ticket item.

I also see a national road infrastructure collapsing around me, among other things. Only a few weeks ago the Tories were promising to build houses. Now it is a bridge.

Here in the East Midlands alone I could set to with all those bridge building guys and spend the money on mending roads - bringing the same if not broader employment benefits and tangible transport benefits to an area of 6 million people. The problem with high profile single spends is it will suck the budget - we see it with Trident taking a chunk of defence spending - then the warriors chuntering there is not enough to pay for basics. And same will occur with a bridge to NI.

Nope we will beg to disagree. I note the Europhile slur. Somewhere I think I possess a Union Jack flag to wrap around me on cold nights. My national self-confidence is dented every day when I see the state of Lincolnshire pot holed roads, truly embarrassing. A massive bridge for politicians (Nationalists) to pose by wearing high vis having photos for the Daily Telegraph while everything else is going to rack and ruin borders on madness in my book

Incidentally, it does bemuse me that we, apparently, have a Keynesian in Johnson spending the dosh, talking of tax rise, when the Tory press dissed and destroyed a Corbyn McDonnel Labour Party for shaming to say similar a few weeks ago. History is written by the victors.

Hey ho. Bridge it is and HS2 too. I had just better keep remembering where the pot holes are locally to avoid.

As I say, fear we shall beg to disagree. Cheers.

Potholes are all part of the economic stimulation plan. Doncha know?
Misses has had four tyres, with less than 20% wear, replaced on her mini in the past two years.
As for fixing potholes.
Maybe locals should take responsibility for their local stretch and contract with their local highways departments to maintain the same, for, say, a reduction in rates or even their share of the highways budget.
Modern day mile men.
But then again.
That wouldn't sit with the modern day ideal of "its somebody else's fault/responsibility".
How many locals attend parish council to air their civic questions on record?
How many even know or bother to contact their local councillor on a one to one basis for representation?
Having said that.
We all know, that a lot of the trouble with the deterioration of local roads is down to drainage, much of which can be laid at the feet of adjoining land owners.
 
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Mek

Member
Before bridges are built the infrastructure for electric vehicles should be installed. When the governments plans for all cars to be electric come to fruition then a drive to and back from Northern Ireland is going to take a bit of planning.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
We've spent the last fifty years subsidising the infrastructural development of our nearest competitors, to the tune of half a trillion pounds at current rates and prices...

The channel tunnel was rubbished by many for a long time, other constructions have been too and yet they have succeeded. I simply don't have sufficient engineering understanding to say whether this is viable or not. But I've read the opinions of both engineers and architects who say it's a goer if the will to build it is there.

For myself, the more connected the various parts of the UK are, the better. However, I'd start with a public subsidy of ferry prices around the whole of the UK, brining them down to whatever the cost would be for driving the equivalent distance - that would truly level the playing field nationally for businesses.

After that, I see no problem with increasing links across the Union and stimulating the economy by projects such as this. But I think the Larne to Portpatrick route to be the obvious choice if it is possible.
I am tending to agree with you which is a worrying precedent although your admiration for the Channel Tunnel seems to be in marked contrast to your views on getting closer to Europe. I was very proud to be right in (technically France) at the service tunnel breakthrough as we provided a dining platform right in the middle for Mrs Thatcher and M Mitterand
 

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