Stonehenge road tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Stonehenge road tunnel was a controversial tunnel
in Wiltshire
, England
proposed by the Highways Agency
to upgrade the A303 road
. It would have moved the A303 into a tunnel under the Stonehenge
World Heritage Site
and close the A344 road
. The project was designed to improve the landscape around the monument and to improve safety on the primary A303 and was part of proposals to change the site in other ways including moving the visitors centre.
to the South West of England
. Sections have been upgraded to dual carriageway
status, though sections of the route remain single carriageway. Traffic flows on the A303 between Amesbury
and Winterbourne Stoke
(the section including Stonehenge) are above the capacity of the road and the Highways Agency expressed concern about safety on this road and the A344. The two roads currently pass through Stonehenge and land owned by the National Trust with the A303 passing directly south and the A344 directly to the north with a pedestrian tunnel passing from the Stonehenge visitor centre to the site underneath this road. As part of the development of the proposals, over 50 routes were considered by the Highways Agency.
, however the government instead proposed a cut and cover tunnel, with plans being published in 1999. These plans were criticised by the National Trust
, Transport 2000
and others who expressed concern that it would cause damage to archaeological remains along the route, destroy ancient sites and not achieve an improvement in the landscape.
In 2002, new plans for a bored tunnel of 1.3 miles (2.1km) were announced by the Secretary of State for Transport
as part of a 7.7 mile (12.5km) plan to upgrade the A303 to dual carriageway status, with the tunnel estimated to cost £183m. This proposal brought further protests from the National Trust, English Heritage
, UNESCO
, CPRE, the Council for British Archaeology
and local groups as the tunnel approach cutting would cut in two a prehistoric track way between Stonehenge and a nearby river. These groups are calling for a tunnel at least 2.9 km long, which would, while being sited within the world heritage site, clear most of the known major artefacts, claiming that if the government goes ahead with the 2.1 km tunnel there may never be another chance to remove the road from the site completely.
In 2004 a public enquiry required under the Highways Act 1980
was conducted by a planning inspector, Michael Ellison. His enquiry agreed that the government proposals were adequate. The report stated:
but concluded:
On October 31, 2005 a Government steering group was set up to look at possible solutions, with the aim of choosing an "option in keeping with the special requirements of the location that is affordable, realistic and deliverable."
The review presented five options — the published tunnel scheme, a cut and cover tunnel, a 'partial solution' (involving a roundabout but maintaining the current road), and two overland bypass routes. Some of these plans have been criticised as being damaging to both archaeology and biodiversity
, including the stone curlew
, barn owl
s, bat
s, and the chalk grassland habitat.Five options were considered including diverting the A303 further away and only closing the A344.The group expected to produced a report in 2006, taking into account the results of public consultation which started in 23 January 2006 and ran until 24 April 2006.
A planning inquiry to consider the proposal was started in June 2011.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
proposed by the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
to upgrade the A303 road
A303 road
The A303 is a 92-mile long trunk road in England. It is the main road between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon. The M3, the A303 and the A30 together make up one of the main routes from London to South West England, running from London to Land's End in Cornwall...
. It would have moved the A303 into a tunnel under the Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and close the A344 road
A344 road
The A344 is an A road in the English county of Wiltshire. It runs from its junction with the A303 road at Stonehenge north west to its junction with the A360 road, away....
. The project was designed to improve the landscape around the monument and to improve safety on the primary A303 and was part of proposals to change the site in other ways including moving the visitors centre.
Background
The A303 is one of the main routes from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the South West of England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
. Sections have been upgraded to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
status, though sections of the route remain single carriageway. Traffic flows on the A303 between Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
and Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke is a village in Wiltshire, England, located around 5 km west of Stonehenge. It is sited on the A303 road, close to its junction with the B3083.-External links:...
(the section including Stonehenge) are above the capacity of the road and the Highways Agency expressed concern about safety on this road and the A344. The two roads currently pass through Stonehenge and land owned by the National Trust with the A303 passing directly south and the A344 directly to the north with a pedestrian tunnel passing from the Stonehenge visitor centre to the site underneath this road. As part of the development of the proposals, over 50 routes were considered by the Highways Agency.
Proposal
Since 1991 51 proposals have been considered for improving the A303 in the area and to remove it from the Stonehenge site. In 1995 it was proposed to build a tunnel for the A303 underneath the World Heritage Site. A conference agreed on a 2.5 mile (4km) bored tunnelTunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
, however the government instead proposed a cut and cover tunnel, with plans being published in 1999. These plans were criticised by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, Transport 2000
Transport 2000
The Campaign for Better Transport is a UK advocacy group that promotes better bus and rail services and for supportive policies and for less expenditure on road building...
and others who expressed concern that it would cause damage to archaeological remains along the route, destroy ancient sites and not achieve an improvement in the landscape.
In 2002, new plans for a bored tunnel of 1.3 miles (2.1km) were announced by the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
as part of a 7.7 mile (12.5km) plan to upgrade the A303 to dual carriageway status, with the tunnel estimated to cost £183m. This proposal brought further protests from the National Trust, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, CPRE, the Council for British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
and local groups as the tunnel approach cutting would cut in two a prehistoric track way between Stonehenge and a nearby river. These groups are calling for a tunnel at least 2.9 km long, which would, while being sited within the world heritage site, clear most of the known major artefacts, claiming that if the government goes ahead with the 2.1 km tunnel there may never be another chance to remove the road from the site completely.
In 2004 a public enquiry required under the Highways Act 1980
Highways Act 1980
The Highways Act 1980 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom dealing with the management and operation of the road network in England and Wales. It consolidated with amendments several earlier pieces of legislation. Many amendments relate only to changes of highway authority, to include...
was conducted by a planning inspector, Michael Ellison. His enquiry agreed that the government proposals were adequate. The report stated:
but concluded:
Review
On July 20, 2005 the tunnel scheme was withdrawn by the Government, partly due to rising costs of construction, which had doubled to £470 million. The Highways Agency continued to list the project as planned, but gave 2008 as the earliest date for the start of construction.On October 31, 2005 a Government steering group was set up to look at possible solutions, with the aim of choosing an "option in keeping with the special requirements of the location that is affordable, realistic and deliverable."
The review presented five options — the published tunnel scheme, a cut and cover tunnel, a 'partial solution' (involving a roundabout but maintaining the current road), and two overland bypass routes. Some of these plans have been criticised as being damaging to both archaeology and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, including the stone curlew
Stone Curlew
The Stone Curlew, Eurasian Thick-knee, or Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is a northern species of the Burhinidae bird family....
, barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, and the chalk grassland habitat.Five options were considered including diverting the A303 further away and only closing the A344.The group expected to produced a report in 2006, taking into account the results of public consultation which started in 23 January 2006 and ran until 24 April 2006.
Cancellation
On December 6, 2007 Roads Minister Tom Harris announced that the whole scheme had been cancelled due to increased costs of £540 million. English Heritage expressed disappointment whilst Save Stonehenge were pleased with the outcome. The Highways Agency will continue to work on small scale improvements to the A303.Revised proposal
A revised proposal, of closing the A344 road between Stonehenge Bottom and Byway 12, and closing part of the B3086 was put forward in 2010. This also includes a proposed new roundabout to replace the current Airman's Corner junction and improvements to the Longbarow Roundabout on the A303.A planning inquiry to consider the proposal was started in June 2011.
External links
- Stonehenge planning enquiry website
- Highways Agency A303 Stonehenge site
- The National Trust's proposals for Stonehenge
- Council for British Archaeology’s Stonehenge/A303 timeline
- Save Stonehenge
- 'Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion' by Andy Worthington (chapter on Stonehenge road tunnel)
- 'Our Plans for Stonehenge:English Heritage