Sir Peter Hendy has been appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to carry out a Union Connectivity Review into the country’s transport infrastructure.
And it is expected to include analysing the ‘cost, practicality and demand’ for a bridge from Scotland, possibly from a point in Dumfries and Galloway, across the Irish Sea.
Improvements to the A75 and A77 trunk roads are also likely to be included in the study, after Mr Johnson mentioned them in an interview last weekend.
Sir Peter will publish his recommendations next summer.
The review has been welcomed by Dumfries and Galloway MP Alister Jack, who is also the Secretary of State for Scotland.
He said: “An upgraded A75 and A77, along with a road and perhaps rail crossing of the Irish Sea, would be a nationally important development and would be transformational for the economy and standard of living in Dumfries and Galloway.
“We have to take such major proposals one step at a time and such a detailed independent review is the correct way forward.
“Sir Peter Hendy and his team will be looking at projects which will be strategically important to improve connectivity throughout the UK and would be funded in that context.
“Better links across the UK will be good for our economy, jobs and prosperity, and further strengthen the UK’s vital internal market.”
