Call for ‘Boris bridge’ between Somerset and Wales to solve motorway congestion
Boris Johnson should abandon plans for a bridge between Ireland and Scotland and build one between Somerset and Wales instead, according to an English newspaper.
The Western Gazette said that it would solve the problem of traffic on the M4 and M5 by cutting out the need to use them for travellers between Wales and the south-west of England altogether.
“Donald Trump made building a wall a key part of his bid to become President of the United States,” the paper says.
“If the Prime Minister is about to do the same with bridges, we don’t think he should rule out Somerset-Wales routes.
“There are so many reasons why a bridge connecting the fair county of Somerset to the beautiful country of Wales would benefit residents in on both sides of the water.
“A bridge across the Bristol Channel could mean avoiding the M5, shorter journeys to the Welsh capital and ease of trade – quicker export times on cider and cheese would surely be a benefit for all?
“No longer will we have to battle with every other holidaymaker from London, and pretty much everywhere else in England.”
Longest
The newspaper suggests a number of possible routes, including a bridge starting at Clevedon (10 miles), Weston-super-Mare (12 miles), or Minehead (11 miles).
“Burnham to Barry would be particularly popular with Gavin and Stacey fans,” the paper says. “Imagine being able to pop out for a quick drive to see what’s occurin’ over in Wales.
“On a clear day in Minehead you can see the industrial Welsh town of Port Talbot.”
The UK Government has said that a ‘Boris Bridge’ across the North Channel from Scotland to Northern Ireland is being taken seriously as an option.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has commissioned a feasibility study into a cross-channel physical link between the two countries.
Experts have warned that the depth of the Irish Sea and the presence of dumped munitions would cause problems for any such project.
The project could cost a reported £20bn, although Mr Johnson has previously said it would “only cost about £15bn”.
The longest bridge in the world over water is currently Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge which has about 30 miles of its span over water.
The longest bridge of all is the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge at 102 miles, which stretches the furthest but not over water.
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Sorry but there needs to be money spent on roads and rail within Wales firstly
Puff.
It’s been built and its called the Second Severn Crossing (whatever Alun Cairns and Carwyn Jones might think). Spend the money on improving rail links, increasing the length of trains and reducing the prices. And please – no more ‘Boris’ anything! Those bikes in London were an initiative set up by Ken Livingstone.
It’s worth pointing out that the Hong Kong to Macau bridge is built over a shallow, with 5m deepest point I believe also it’s not subject to strong tidal currents four times a day. Vanity projects are great when there is nothing else that urgently needs money like houses, eliminating food banks etc.
If you are going to build link between Somerset and Wales the long proposed tidal barrage would make more sense, producing electricity and so generating the profits business craves. However, as many have mentioned here the money would be better sent improving the infrastructure already in place. Still Johnson may consider it as it may pacify English voters in marginal West country constituencies and just like the reasons for the proposed Scotland to N. Ireland bridge – gain popularity, so gaining more votes and ultimately staying in power longer. After all that is all Johnson really cares about.
Sounds a very good idea having a bridge from Wales to Somerset hopefully relieve some of the pressure from the M5
I am with you on this Lee even though you are the only one supportive of this. I am not having a go at the other comments as everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think that the road connection should also incorporate The Severn Barrage. As Drakeford is content with us being stuck in our vehicles around the Brynglas Tunnels there is probably more of a chance of this happening than any further M4 relief road around Newport.
How would this relive pressure on the M4? If you create a shortcut between the English Midlands and the south west of England via Port Talbot won’t it cause an increase in traffic on the M4 from those using the new route rather than the M5 or the Severn Crossings?
Sorry but this talk about a bridge is simply a dead cat dropped onto the table. Everybody is talking about the dead cat instead of what Johnson doesn’t want you talking about. Just a bit of context: The North Channel of the Irish Sea is 1000ft deep and 28miles wide. The Irish Sea has the power to sink large merchant ships. Who could afford to maintain or repair a project that would be closed much of the time due to bad weather. Such a crossing would require 50 bridge towers 1500ft tall. Think Second Severn Bridge but towers twice that… Read more »
Any proposal for new east-west roads or bridges into Wales should not be countenanced by the WAG until the internal transport infrastructure in Wales has been improved to the country’s satisfaction. That includes a rejection of the Llanymynech crossing. Wales does not need, and would not benefit by, further traffic arteries from east of Offa’s Dyke. The M4 congestion could be addressed by improved railways and a focus on building up a Wales-centred economy (in tandem with a scrapping of the ‘South-West Powerhouse’ nonsense). Thanks, but no thanks.
Wouldn’t work on Llanymynech/Pant improve the journey from Newtown to Wrexham ? You tell me as I haven’t needed to go that way for a long time. A cross- Wales route from say Swansea to Wrexham, even Cardiff to Wrexham, would probably run through that area or would you divert it just to avoid England ?
Its pupose is to facilitate travel from Shrewsbury to Mid Wales and Aberystwyth. Y Drenewydd to Wrecsam is not a problematic journey, Huw, and in fact entails crossing the border but to object strongly to having to do that that would be silly, since both are to a degree border towns. Shropshire west of Oswestry is lovely.
Anyway, too much traffic, not too few east-west roads, is the problem in Cymru.
Is it the season for stupid suggestions ? Boris or his fans seem to have a thing about big bridges ( a.k.a vanity projects). The Severn Channel was for years the subject of a range of barrage-based “solutions” which at least had the merit of harnessing tidal power while providing a platform for a bridge. A bridge on its own would be just a waste of materials. Given the storms we are experiencing increasingly the whole thing might get blown/washed away anyway given the poor quality of modern construction.
I’d be more likely to support the re-introduction of tolls, to finance infrastructure improvements within Wales.
You can then follow that with a Trump style rebuilding of Offa’s Dyke just a little further East.
This is an early april’s fool isnt it ?
Boris is in trouble, top home civil servant resigning and threatening, quite rightly, revenge on behalf of his workers subect to bullying by Pattel, not for the first time in her careering career. Expect more distractions as US deal drops, Huawei revenge, struggles over fishing rights drag on, then plunge.
He must be praying for a royal marriage to come along.
You are a humourless lot. Clue “quicker export times on cider”. This is tongue in cheek and fun to read, if deadpan. If you have to be serious, a bridge would fail for the same reason that (numerous) proposed ferries would fail. There isn’t enough by way of cider or holiday caravans to make it pay. Back to a proper A470 and trains Carmarthen to Aber…