The estimated cost of the Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is absurd and seems deliberately far too high

A letter from Edward McDowell:
By Letters
Published 4th Dec 2021, 07:40 BST
The Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge seen from Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province. The estimated £335 billion cost of a Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is absurd given that China managed to build its longer 34-mile bridge for around £15 billionThe Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge seen from Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province. The estimated £335 billion cost of a Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is absurd given that China managed to build its longer 34-mile bridge for around £15 billion
The Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge seen from Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province. The estimated £335 billion cost of a Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is absurd given that China managed to build its longer 34-mile bridge for around £15 billion

Grand projects happen because statesmen want them to, not because they will be profitable.

Projects that statesmen want to happen will have their estimated cost and time needed artificially suppressed to make them appear more acceptable.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 2102 London Olympics, London’s Crossrail, the English Channel Tunnel, and currently HS2, have all benefited from this policy.

The opposite also applies. Projects that statesmen don’t want to happen will have their estimated cost and time needed exaggerated to make them seem unacceptable.

The estimated £335 billion cost a Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is one such exaggeration.

It is a particularly absurd example of that opposite policy cited above, given that China managed to build a longer 34-mile bridge for around £15 billion three years ago.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A more realistic cost of a Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge is £50-100 billion, allowing for greater basic costs and engineering challenges than the China bridge.

Justifying the cancellation of the bridge to Northern Ireland on this basis suggests little support for the Union UK Treasury and probably Boris Johnson’s cabinet too. Unionists should remember this the next time a contender for the Conservative party leadership speaks to a party conference.

Edward McDowell, Belgravia, London

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions

now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, Editor

Related topics:Northern IrelandScotlandLondonBen LowryUnionists