ARLENE Foster’s Democratic Unionist Party has backed a call for a bridge between Scotland and the island of Ireland saying it could act as spur for extending economic and cultural relations between the two countries.

The DUP’s support for the move came after leading architect Professor Alan Dunlop raised the idea of such a structure in yesterday’s National saying it could create a “Celtic Powerhouse” — and be cheaper and more feasible than one between England and France.

Foster’s party called for a feasibility study into a tunnel or enclosed bridge across the North Channel of the Irish Sea in its 2015 General Election manifesto.

READ MORE: Bridge from Scotland to Ireland could create 'Celtic powerhouse'

A DUP spokeswoman told The National last night: “In our 2015 manifesto we proposed a feasibility study into a tunnel or enclosed bridge across the North Channel to the Scottish Coastline.

“This was based on other such examples which exist across the world, developing links between countries and regions.

“We recognise the important economic, cultural and social links between Northern Ireland and Scotland. An infrastructure project of this nature would act as a catalyst for developing further links between the two islands.”

Dunlop, from the school of architecture at Liverpool University, said a new crossing could be built over the 26 miles from Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway, to Bangor, or 28 miles to Larne in Northern Ireland. He believed it would boost the economy of Scotland, the island of Ireland and also help solve any dispute over the re-emergence of an Irish border post Brexit.

He spoke out after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson raised the possibility of building a bridge over the English Channel to connect England and France. But Dunlop pointed out there were many ways in in which building a crossing over the North Channel would be easier. He said a suspension rail and road bridge like that which connects Denmark and Sweden across the Oresund strait could be built from Portpatrick to Larne, though warned the Beaufort’s Dyke, a 300 metre deep sea trench would be a challenge.

“A combined sea and suspension railway and road bridge much like that which connects Denmark and Sweden across the Oresund strait could work. The part above the dyke would have to float but be tied to the bottom, much like an oil rig,” he said.

He added technically it would be easier to build a bridge between the Mull of Kintyre to Torr Head on the Antrim Coast, which is just over 12 miles and the sea shallower, but given the four hour journey to get to Mull of Kintyre from the central belt, the crossing may not attract sufficient vehicles.

He estimated that the cost of the Celtic Connection bridge would be around £15-20 billion compared to his estimate of £120 billion for the England/France bridge.

Speaking at the end of last week about Johnson’s idea for the bridge over the English Channel, Dunlop said: “I’d say at least £120 billion for a Channel bridge and that’s a conservative estimate. It would really be cheaper to move France closer.”

The Oresund Bridge is an engineering marvel that connects the Danish capital of Copenhagen to the Swedish city of Malmö. A cable-stayed bridge runs nearly five miles to an artificial island where it transitions into a tunnel that runs another 2.5 miles. The award-winning double-track railway and motorway opened on July 1, 2000. The Oresund was designed by the Danish engineering firm COWI and the main architect was George KS Rotne. The bridge and tunnel run across the Oresund strait and is jointly operated by the neighbouring states from both countries. To use the Oresund you must pay a toll.

The SDLP voiced scepticism over a potential bridge between Scotland and Ireland.

A spokesperson said: “The SDLP is always interested in building bridges with our Celtic neighbours in Scotland, a nation with which we increasingly have much in common. Unfortunately, the logistics of a physical bridge between Ireland and Scotland appears to be beyond our capability at the moment and given the significant cuts applied to infrastructure budgets in Northern Ireland by this Tory government, may not be economically viable.

“The North still doesn’t have a motorway between its two largest cities. The SDLP is ambitious for our transport infrastructure and we’ll continue to fight with our partners in Scotland and Wales for a fair share of resources to develop better links for people across these islands.”

Sinn Féin has not yet responded to a comment from The National, while the Scottish Government said it had no plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland.