A controversial plan for a 1.8 mile road tunnel for the A303 where it passes Stonehenge has been finalised by the government, after years of delays.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the plan will “transform” the A303, “cutting congestion and improving journey times”.
Cmpaign group Stonehenge Alliance believes any tunnel shorter than 2.7-miles (4.3 km) would do “irreparable damage to the landscape”.
Chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, Andy Rhind-Tutt, described the tunnel plan as a “self-destructing time bomb” which would “do nothing” for traffic problems in the area.
In a statement, the group said: “The Alliance does not advocate new road building at Stonehenge, but accepts the need to improve the tranquillity and appearance of the World Heritage Site and its setting.
“If the government insists on widening the A303 by means of a tunnel, it must be sufficiently long to avoid any further damage to [Stonehenge] and its setting.”
In 2015, a Stonehenge Alliance petition calling for a longer tunnel gained 17,500 signatures.
English Heritage and the National Trust have also given their support to the option of “the longest tunnel possible”.
More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge_road_tunnel
