The stalled project to build a tunnel under Stonehenge is expected to get the go ahead by the end of the summer and could be completed in five years.

The predicted cost of the road works and tunnelling is understood to have gone up by £40m to £223m after a failure to account for the costs of buying and preparing land. English Heritage, which owns the stones, conceived the project 15 years ago but it has been dogged by local opposition.

The Department of Transport is currently reviewing the project after a public inquiry last year. Rebecca Milton, spokeswoman for English Heritage, said a positive decision was expected from the Government within three months.

The controversial plan involves diverting the A303 under the historic site and building a new visitors centre, including an ecologically-friendly rapid transit system.

The Highways Agency, which is overseeing the A303 part of the project, with advice from Mott MacDonald, has come under fire from for proposing a “cut and cover” solution. Cheaper than boring a tunnel, the approach involves sinking the road and building a roof on top.

John Murphy, spokesman for the Highways Agency, stressed that the cut and cover option had been dropped in favour of a bored tunnel, which was costly, but would do less damage to the archaeological site.

Locals have campaigned against the cut and cover solution. Save Stonehenge remains opposed to the project.

Source

QS News