THE Tory leader will talk up his vision of a bridge connecting Scotland with Northern Ireland during his visit tomorrow.

It was announced this week that the Prime Minister will visit Scotland as ministers enter “panic mode” over the state of the Union. Recent opinion polls show support for independence sitting at around 54%, while Nicola Sturgeon’s approval ratings have increased over the last few months.

Election polling has also indicated pro-independence parties are on track for a majority in Holyrood next year.

Yesterday Johnson urged his Cabinet ministers to be “more visible” in Scotland, and more “vocal” about the benefits of the Union as they met in person for the first time since lockdown began.

As he visits Scotland tomorrow, Johnson is expected to thank the military and emergency services for their role in responding to the Covid-19 crisis.

READ MORE: Tories' £20bn 'Boris Bridge' plans mocked by leading economists

He will also talk up his dream of the so-called Boris Bridge connecting Scotland with Northern Ireland as part of his “build, build, build” agenda for the UK.

According to reports, he is likely to confirm funding for a feasibility study into the crossing between Portpatrick and Larne. It’s thought such a project would cost about £20 billion to build.

The First Minister has called the bridge a “vanity project”. The proposals have also faced criticism from leading economists.

Earlier this year Graeme Roy, the director of the Fraser of Allander Institute think tank, ridiculed the plans. He said: “In short, it won’t deliver the economic boost some claim, it isn’t a priority, it would go to the wrong location, it wouldn’t be consistent with climate change objectives, and the money could be better spent on other things.

“Apart from that, it’s a cracking idea.”

READ MORE: Alister Jack backs Scotland-NI tunnel – and claims Boris Johnson does too

Since Johnson expressed interest in pursuing the bridge, experts have pointed out problems building such a structure in that area.

To connect Portpatrick with Larne it would need to be built over Beaufort’s Dyke, a place where Second World War weapons were dumped. The water also had radioactive waste dumped in it during the 1950s.

In a blog post, Roy ridiculed suggestions a bridge could be built in such a location.

He said: "This is not an April Fool.

"Somewhere, engineers will be debating the technical challenges of building a bridge over deep water, or a tunnel across a difficult underwater terrain. Geographers will be working out the average windspeeds that traffic will be able to withstand. And munition experts will be discussing how to avoid Beaufort’s Dyke.

"But before this gets any further, hopefully the Government will ask their civil service economists for some advice."

It added: "£20bn could be far better spent."

When asked about the plans during an evidence session at the Scottish Parliament in March, Alister Jack said he would prefer a tunnel to built rather than a bridge – and added Johnson was on the same page.

He said a tunnel would not face the same problems as a bridge when it came to building close to the Second World War munitions dumped in the sea.

However reports indicate it will be a bridge Johnson promotes tomorrow, rather than a tunnel.

The architect behind the bridge has defended the project against claims it is a "fantasy plan".

Professor Alan Dunlop’s Celtic Bridge was unveiled by The National and two years ago.

He insists a road and rail crossing from Larne to Portpatrick is “architecturally possible and would boost tourism and trade for both sides of the crossing, while providing an extra needed physical link after Brexit”.

Ahead of the PM’s visit to Scotland tomorrow, where he will talk about the bridge, Dunlop said: “The case for a road and rail link is not only about economic benefit but also about establishing closer social, cultural and political relations between the UK, Scotland and Ireland in the shifting post Brexit climate and after the Covid 19 pandemic.

“Like President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’, the recovery plan from the Great Depression, a road and rail connection with Ireland and other major investments in transportation infrastructure and public works will help boost economy and could bring employment and other extraordinary benefit to many areas. Politics in Scotland, Ireland, and in the rest of the UK is in an extreme state of flux. The political failure to grasp this opportunity would indicate a lack of vision and authentic leadership.”