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A303/Amesbury - Berwick Down Dualling

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Amesbury - Berwick Down Dualling
Location Map ( geo)
Tour coach leads the way to Stonehenge - Geograph - 2228073.jpg
A303 at Stonehenge, with the now defunct A344
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Location
Amesbury, Winterboune Stoke
Scheme Type
Bypass
Construction Start Date
2023
Opening Date
TBC
Cost
£500 million (2007 Prices)
Contractor
TBC
On road(s)
A303

The Amesbury - Berwick Down Dualling scheme is a planned improvement on the A303 which includes the Stonehenge Tunnel, a twin bored tunnel designed to move the A303 away from Stonehenge World Heritage Site. It is linked to the adjacent Winterbourne Stoke Bypass. It will form a dual carriageway route from the western end of the Amesbury Bypass to meet the Dual Carriageway to the west of Winterbourne Stoke by entering a 1.8 mile tunnel under Stonehenge. There have numerous proposals over the years to bypass the site include various tunnels of different lengths and construction types as well as surface routes. The proposed scheme will mean the users will be able to travel from the M3 to Wylye, west of the A36, on a Dual Carriageway Route for the first time.

Background

The A303 is the main route that traffic from London, the East and South East use to reach the holiday destinations of the South West. It is also a major freight route to the South West and plays a major part of keeping the South West connected to the rest of the country. The stretch of road is notorious for its summer time congestion. This is partly due to it passing through the nearby village of Winterbourne Stoke, partly due to the amount of traffic funneling into one lane at either end, partly due to people slowing down to see the stones, and partly because of Longbarrow Roundabout which is partway along the section where the A303 and A360 meet.

History

Roads for Prosperity

The first mention of a Tunnel was in the 1989 Roads for Prosperity. It was one of many schemes to be built under the proposals and it included a tunnel of over 2 miles in length. The consultation also included the Winterbourne Stoke Bypass and proposed either a twin bored tunnel or a cut and cover one. There was also a suggestion of the road going in a cutting although it was dismissed on the massive environmental damage it would cause. The plan was final put to sleep by the New Labour government in the late 1990's.

New Labour Proposals

In 2005 it raised its head again. This time it was a 1.3 mile tunnel which would have been twin bored and also included the Winterbourne Stoke Bypass. It was only two years before it was cancelled though as costs started escalating towards £500 million, finally being concealed to the archives in 2007.

Road Investment Strategy

The latest plans were created in 2014 by the Conservative - Liberal Democrat Coalition as part of the new Road Investment Strategy. It will be delivered by the new Highways Company, National Highways, and is the single biggest new project to be announced in Road Period 1 (2015-2020). The plans include a 1.8 mile long twin bored tunnel and the Winterbourne Stoke Bypass, although it is unclear if Countess Roundabout will be grade separated in the plans as of yet, although it would make sense. The expected cost of this was £1.5bn

Following additional consultations and delays, the transport secretary approved the scheme on 12th November 2020. At this time, Highways England estimated the cost at £1.7bn. Site preparatory work is planned for Spring 2021, with the construction phase commencing in 2023.


Links

BBC News





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