[News] Stonehenge tunnel, the best way to spend £1.7B of public money?

[nicko31]

So many other more pressing needs...

Stonehenge tunnel is approved by government

The plans were first approved in 2020 but were later overturned in 2021 after a campaign.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[zefarelly]

A monorail would be better.
and a Worthing bypass/tunnel

 

[Normal Rob]

Yes. Because I benefit, and it's all about me.

 

[wehatepalace]

On the face of it I’d say yes, because it’s a god forsaken Road and this will improve it no end………however……..this is a world heritage site, I’m not sure I’m comfortable jeopardising such an important historical area to build a tunnel !
Sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture and a site such as Stonehenge is far more important than a faster road for motorists.

 

[dazzer6666]

It’s a big bottleneck on the 303, but there are several others on the Western side of Stonehenge anyway where the road keeps changing from 2 lanes to one so not sure it’ll make a huge difference to journeys having driven it hundreds of times.

 

[Stat Brother]

More roads - that'll make everything better.

 

[Comrade Sam]

The money is always there when they want it. They can raise the money by a retrospective tax on all the Neolithic refugees that helped build stone henge.

 

[Doc Lynam]

A world heritage site that’s our cultural responsibility to protect for generations in the future. I’d say yes or don’t build a road anywhere near it. Let it breathe in the context of its landscape.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

£1.7B ? Absolutely no chance, inevitable over costs let alone delays as is always the case.

 

[nicko31]

From my experience from travelling the A303 travelling to Cornwall there are a few bottle necks but only at peak holiday times.

It’s a crap use of public money and while they’re at it threatens Stone Henge’s world heritage status.

More evidence the government has lost the plot

 

[ElectricNaz]

I don't really get the point because it'll still go down to one lane anyway shortly after. And lorries will consistently be in the way on those one lane sections. So all the tunnel does is move the issue further west. Although I do recall there is work going on currently on at least one of those sections to add lane capacity.

Lol at one of the alternatives being mentioned across the media though, "build a huge fence so people don't slow down to look at stonehenge" - yeah because people actually at stonehenge would love their view to have a monstrous fence in the background. That'll keep in with the unesco heritage vibes.

 

[Weststander]

£1.7B ? Absolutely no chance, inevitable over costs let alone delays as is always the case.

You can double that, my ready reckoner on state projects eg Edinburgh trams.

 

[Weststander]

From my experience from travelling the A303 travelling to Cornwall there are a few bottle necks but only at peak holiday times.

It’s a crap use of public money and while they’re at it threatens Stone Henge’s world heritage status.

More evidence the government has lost the plot

If it’s a party political thing (I didn’t realise that until your last sentence), then shirley it will never happen with Starmer entering no.10 in December 2024.

 

[Eeyore]

I blame those neolithic tree huggers for building that eyesore in the first place. I mean it's not like it's ever had any historical significance or anything. You weigh that against chopping off ten minutes on a journey it's roads all the way.

 

[banjo]

Can they repair the roads we’ve already got first please.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Banjo, your asking for a lot.

 

[BN41Albion]

A monorail would be better.
and a Worthing bypass/tunnel

Worthing tunnel, Chichester tunnel and newhaven through out past rottingdean tunnel would be great

 

[Official Old Man]

Stonehenge will always bring back memories of my worst breakdown about 22 years ago.
I drove from Blackpool to Torquay and then home (Uckfield) every two weeks in a large Transit van. A trip of 10 hours but with breaks.
Driving out of Torquay it was dark and I put on the sat nav and went into automatic mode as you do. I knew the route and where I was going. I needed diesel but also knew of a Morrisons station along with two small stations on the route. I say knew the route, I knew the route I normally take, A30/A35/A31/M27. In the dark my sat nav took me on to the A303 and kept me on it. An Esso station emerged and I pulled in but, as my luck wasn't with me that night, it had no diesel. But I wasn't worried, Morrisons was up the road. I drove on, and on, and on. How did I miss Morrisons or those stations in small towns? Now I was getting worried. But I was on a straight bit of road I thought I knew which had a huge Shell station at the round-a-bout at the end. But of course there was no Shell garage. Instead my van began to shudder. Being diesel I didn't want to run out as that was big trouble getting going again, so I pulled over into a farm track and called the AA. Of course I gave them my sat nav position and sat back waiting. When the guy turned up I explained about Morrisons etc and then he looked at me and said "Do you know where you are?", "Yes" I said, "A35 possibly near Poole". "See those stones just there, that's Stonehenge". I was 40 miles off course!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s a big bottleneck on the 303, but there are several others on the Western side of Stonehenge anyway where the road keeps changing from 2 lanes to one so not sure it’ll make a huge difference to journeys having driven it hundreds of times.

Quite. The road is single lane in many places. Once you get past the roundabout that takes you to the stones the traffic is just as slow. I'll be doing the journey for the umpteenth time in a few weeks.

Who's paying for this?

 

[Husty]

Grand scheme of things, 1.7bn is not THAT much money. The A303 is a very busy road, essentially linking London/the south east to a large swathe of south west England. That its single carriage for a long stretch is frankly a bit embarrassing and means there are longs queues regularly. This country is begging out for better infrastructure and the kind of growth arising from that.

On that basis, its a fairly obvious and simple yes