£1.6bn tunnel to let you drive under Stonehenge
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a 1.8-mile road tunnel under Stonehenge were given the go-ahead yesterday.
The scheme is intended to hide the sound and sight of the road from the monument site.
Following a consultation, plans had been altered so that the tunnel entrance would not spoil the view of the sun during the winter solstice, the Government said.
But experts warned the £1.6billion project would still compromise the ‘unutterably precious’ archaeology of the site and could lead to subsidence.
The A303 is often gridlocked near the landmark, causing frustration for holidaymakers and business travellers heading to and from the South West.
It will run through a dual carriageway tunnel in the upgrade by Highways England. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said yesterday: ‘This Government is taking the big decisions for Britain’s future and this major investment in the South West will provide a huge boost for the region.
‘Quicker journey times, reduced congestion and cleaner air will benefit people locally and unlock growth in the tourism industry.’
The tunnel will closely follow the existing A303 route but will be a further 164ft from Stonehenge.
Department for Transport officials claim it will avoid important archaeological sites and will not spoil the view of the setting sun from Stonehenge during the winter solstice. Thousands of people and organisations responded to a public consultation on the plans earlier this year. But opponents are concerned the tunnel plan would damage the wider archaeology and environment.
Time Team presenter Tony Robinson has previously described the scheme as ‘ old- fashioned’ because it ‘assumes that what needs to be protected is that little clump of stone’.
He said the stone circle was invaluable, but over the past 20 to 30 years, experts had begun to appreciate that the area around it was a complex network of henges, pathways, barrows and trackways.
Professor David Jacques from the University of Buckingham warned that a report Highways England had commissioned on the geology underneath Stonehenge showed chalk dug up for the tunnel could damage the landscape and lead to subsidence under the monument.
He said: ‘The Stonehenge landscape is unutterably precious and you tamper with it at your peril.’