PLANS FOR the construction of an underwater tunnel linking Northern Ireland with the rest of the UK looks set to be given the green light.
A government review is expected to recommend plans for the tunnel move forward to the next step in the process with a feasibility study.
The news is likely to be welcomed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is said to be a keen advocate of the so-called “Boris Burrow” as a means of ironing out any post- Brexit trade issues in the region.
According to The Telegraph, the Union Connectivity Review conducted by Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, is expected to formally examine proposals for a fixed linked.
The interim report looks set to call for further evaluation of whether a bridge or tunnel represents the most viable option available.
Newspaper reports indicate Sir Peter is opposed to plans for a bridge amid concerns bad weather could lead closures for months at a time.
A spokesperson says he will be offering an assess on how best to connect every corner of the UK "whether it is better rail services, new stations, air links for remote communities, or improving the state of our roads".
Concerns were previously expressed over the plans and the fact the tunnel could go through Beaufort’s Dyke in the Irish Sea, where a surplus of World War Two munitions and other radioactive waste has previously been dumped.
The UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities campaign group is among those to warn the UK would face a "real challenge" to develop either a bridge or tunnel around the dyke.
