Stonehenge tunnel project – controversy grows

Controversy surrounds the Stonehenge tunnel project in the UK. A report produced by 1384 Unesco has said that the plan to construct a 2.9km tunnel to carry the busy A303 route past the Stonehenge World Heritage Site should be reconsidered. Instead Unesco is calling for either a longer tunnel to be driven or for the A303 to be rerouted to the south, away from the archeologically important area around Stonehenge and closer to the nearby town of Salisbury. Unesco is presenting its findings from the report to the World Heritage Committee.

The plan to build the 2.9km tunnel was finalised early this year by 8100 Highways England. But concerns have been expressed with regard to the visual impact of the portals for the new tunnel as well as the construction of the new four lane dual carriageway sections leading to and from the tunnel.

Archeological sites are distributed widely in the area surrounding Stonehenge and it is appreciated that more likely remain undiscovered so far.

What is not in dispute however is that the A303 route should be upgraded. At present the dual lane stretch running close to the Stonehenge site suffers from high congestion levels and long delays, particularly during holiday times when it carries more tourist traffic. The route also carries a high percentage of heavy trucks and there are serious safety concerns with regard to large vehicles passing through the small villages on the road.