Saturday 14 January 2017

Road tunnel to be built under Stonehenge

A major road past Stonehenge is set to be moved into a tunnel
A major road past Stonehenge is set to be moved into a tunnel Credit: PA
A 1.8 mile dual carriageway tunnel is set to be built under Stonehenge, the Department for Transport has announced.
The A303 that runs past the World Heritage Site in Wiltshire is a notorious bottleneck on the route to the South West.
As well as easing congestion, the tunnel would remove the sight and sound of traffic for people visiting Stonehenge, DfT officials claimed.
It is part of a £2 billion investment in the area.
This major investment in the South West will transform the A303 and benefit those locally by cutting congestion and improving journey times.
It will also boost the economy, linking people with jobs and businesses with customers.
– TRANSPORT SECRETARY CHRIS GRAYLING
A major international report published in May last year concluded that a tunnel could benefit Stonehenge if the scheme is well designed and constructed.
stonehenge
The A303 that runs past the World Heritage Site in Wiltshire Credit: PA
It also has the backing of Highways England and heritage groups that manage the area.
However, campaign group Stonehenge Alliance opposes the plans on the basis that a tunnel shorter than 2.7-miles would do "irreparable damage to the landscape".
A petition against the proposals has gathered more than 22,000 signatures.
A consultation into the Stonehenge proposals will run until March 5, with the preferred route announced later this year.
The scheme to tackle congestion in the area was announced by the Government in December 2014.