LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A leading British architect suggests Britain learn from China's ambition on infrastructure and ask Chinese experts to advise on building a bridge linking Scotland with Northern Ireland.
Alan Dunlop, one of Britain's leading architects based in Glasgow of Scotland, was commissioned to deliver a feasibility study of the project in 2018. He believes the bridge technically feasible, and would boost the economy for both sides of the crossing and help establish closer relation between the two parts in the shifting post-Brexit climate.
The idea of building such a road and rail crossing from Portpatrick in Scotland to Larne in Northern Ireland is widely debated in Britain after the government admitted that Downing Street is "looking into" its prospect earlier this month.
The construction cost and technical feasibility of the project are among the most controversial issues since the plan has been unveiled, as the route from Portpatrick to Larne is a span of around 40 kilometers.
Dunlop, who is a visiting professor at Robert Gordon University and a fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), deeply agrees with the Chinese saying "building the road is the first step to become rich".
He told Xinhua that, as one of his inspirations for the bridge from Scotland to Northern Ireland, he uses the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in China as a precedent of what can be achieved in structure and design.
"It (the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge) is a remarkable structure. I talk about it a great deal in interviews," he said.
The inauguration of the newly-constructed 55km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in October 2018 after about nine years of building, including a 6.7 km-long immersed tunnel, marked a landmark in the development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) which is part of China's overall reform and opening up strategy.
He said the Chinese are looking towards the future and applauded the infrastructure work being currently undertaken throughout China as "innovative and very impressive".
The architect also suggested British government consider asking Chinese experts to advise on building the bridge.
"It would also be advantageous to seek design expertise from China on the building of large bridges and transport projects," he said.
Estimating that the bridge will cost 15 billion to 20 billion pounds, Dunlop suggested the project be funded by the Scottish, Westminster and Northern Irish governments in partnership, like the bridge between Denmark and Sweden.
"There could be investment from overseas encouraged and incorporated including from China," he added. (Contributed by Yang Xiaojing, Edited by Gu Shanshan, gushanshan.1987@163.com)
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