Despair and joy as plans for the Stonehenge tunnel are scrapped

• Swindon & Wiltshire Economics
• Tuesday, July 30, 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

The news that a major infrastructure project to divert traffic passing through Stonehenge through a tunnel has been canceled has been met with both joy and despair.

In the House of Commons yesterday (Monday), Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves put the brakes on the plans as part of her “if we can’t afford it, we can’t do it” cost-cutting exercise – the result of a £22 project. billions of overspend inherited from the last government.

The stretch of the A303 past Stonehenge is a notorious bottleneck. The previous government approved a scheme to widen the road from single carriageway to dual carriageway and take the strategic route through two miles of tunnel to remove it from the “Stonehenge landscape”.

The estimated cost of the project – first mooted in 1994 – was around £2 billion. Construction was supposed to begin in 2025, with the tunnel opening in 2030.

Among those to express their disappointment was Wiltshire Council, a vocal supporter of the project.

Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: We are extremely dismayed and disappointed by the Government’s decision to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project.

“These improvements are needed now to reduce traffic congestion on the A303 and reduce traffic in our communities and also to deliver economic growth in Wiltshire, unlocking jobs and investment in the wider South West region.

It has taken many years of lobbying and working closely with partners including National Highways to bring this major infrastructure project to Wiltshire and so it is a huge blow to get to the stage where construction is ready to start, only to be taken. away from us at this late hour.

“£160m has already been spent on this project and canceling it now wastes that huge investment, including the work to bring power on the A360 to the tunnel site. There is currently no viable alternative to table tunneling.

“It would restore the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting and allow local communities greater access to the ancient stones and the surrounding World Heritage.

“We will remain committed to this project and continue to work closely with all stakeholders to try and bring this project back to Wiltshire, to reduce rat running in our communities, to reduce travel times in the wider South West, to stimulate the economy. growth in Wiltshire and to unlock jobs and investment in the region.”

The council previously said the project would support 21,000 jobs and boost the region’s economy by £9bn.

Highways England plan for the tunnel

Danny Kruger, the Tory MP who inherited Stonehenge due to a boundary change at the recent general election, said: “Many Wiltshire residents will be deeply disappointed that the project to relieve the horrendous traffic congestion in our villages has been scrapped.

“It is essential that the Government come forward with a credible alternative plan – funded from the savings from scrapping the tunnel – to improve the road network around the A303.

“These improvements have been needed for years but have been delayed pending the tunnel. The Government must now work out how it will help our towns and villages cope with the volume of cars and lorries clogging up our roads.”

Business West, which operates Wiltshire Chamber of Commerce and lobbies for business interests nationally, said: “The A303 serves as a vital transport corridor for the South West of England and its single carriageway stretches present challenges.

“In the event of delays on the M4 or M5, the A303 is the only viable main route to the peninsula. As such, the efficient operation of these road systems is crucial to the uninterrupted flow of transport and business operations,” said CEO Phil Smith.

“We are concerned about the potential delay or cancellation of the Stonehenge tunnel project. This infrastructure improvement is essential not only to alleviate traffic congestion, but also to support the economic growth of the South West.

“Businesses in the region will be disappointed that the Chancellor has pulled back on commitments to key infrastructure projects such as the Stonehenge Tunnel.

“The government is committed to boosting economic growth through improved infrastructure, including railways and roads.

“These projects are the building blocks of economic development, facilitating trade, tourism and the daily commute for individuals and businesses.”

And Richard Smith, chief executive of RHA, the Road Transport Association, said: “We are disappointed by the announcements that key infrastructure projects will be cancelled.

“Investment in the Strategic Road Network is a critical part of the Government’s mission to grow the economy. These vital schemes are long overdue, not only providing a link between the South East and South West but also safeguarding our cultural heritage.

“Failure to invest now in our road network will mean a failure to tackle Britain’s growing road congestion problem and stifle the economic recovery. Congestion is estimated to cost the UK economy at least £30.8 billion a year.

“In the short term the cost of an HGV stuck in stationary traffic for an hour is £120, a crippling cost at a time when hauliers are under serious financial pressure.

“To boost economic growth, we continue to urge the new government to prioritize investment in key national infrastructure projects to tackle congestion, improve road safety, support business and keep the supply chain moving at optimal levels.”

But the news was welcomed by campaign group The Stonehenge Alliance, a broad coalition of archaeologists, historians, conservationists and environmental groups – including the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth – whose petition to stop the tunnel has attracted 240,000 signatories.

The group’s chairman, historian and broadcaster Tom Holland, said: “The whole monstrous project, a proposal to blast a concrete and tarmac cut through our most sacred prehistoric landscape, should never have got off the drawing board.

“That this cancellation will save £2.5bn is obviously an added benefit.”

The tunnel plans have been backed by English Heritage, which operates the Stonehenge site, the National Trust and National Highways.

English Heritage previously said: “A tunnel would bring together the ancient landscape and allow people to better appreciate, enjoy and understand Stonehenge without the experience being ruined by traffic.

“Our hope is that removing the sight and sound of the noisy, busy road from the World Heritage Site will open up the landscape of Stonehenge and allow people to better explore and enjoy it.”

National Highways said the road scheme will reduce journey times – “turning what can take 60 minutes or more into just seven or eight minutes” – and reduce the number of accidents on the busy stretch of road.

It also said the scheme would unlock economic development, spurring job and housing growth.