Stonehenge - The bored tunnel option

[Berk]

Really haven’t got a hope in hell this time. The excessive delays have in fact had a silver lining: they’ve caused the project area to be very extensively researched.

All reasonable countermeasures will have been taken, and included in the application.

[Euan]

It is surprising that there is such opposition to a proposal which would completely shut the old A303 to road traffic, wouldn't that make the area more pleasant and inviting for tourists? Unless a completely new road above the surface was built way to the south of Stonehenge between the A36 and the A338 there are no other realistic ways of improving the road.

[Berk]

They haven’t got a leg to stand on. All the issues have been reviewed.

[thatapanydude]

Unless a completely new road above the surface was built way to the south of Stonehenge between the A36 and the A338 there are no other realistic ways of improving the road.

In my opinion this route along with a dualled A36 between Southampton and Salisbury would be the best way to solve Stonehenge along with bypassing the A35 for South Coast traffic.

[Berk]

Like I said twice already, this was studied (and rejected) in 2006.

It really is the Stonehenge Bottom route or nothing at all.

FWIW, I think the southern route would’ve been too long.

[JohnnyMo]

Today's Guardian: The battle for the future of stonehenge

[Herned]

Today's Guardian: The battle for the future of stonehenge

Seems a fairly balanced and reasonable article, especially compared to some previous articles in the Guardian

[Norfolktolancashire]

Today's Guardian: The battle for the future of stonehenge

Seems a fairly balanced and reasonable article, especially compared to some previous articles in the Guardian

Love the bit that says the West Country is a bit wilder than the South East!

Seems like a bit of London journalism bias that "there be dragons" at the west end of the A303.

[Berk]

I agree that the article is reasonable. But it doesn’t seem like campaigners have any new arguments.

Whether they have engaged with the process to make oral presentations to the examiner remains to be seen.

[Euan]

At one point the article mentions the A303 having wonderful views of Stonehenge, but surely the only time drivers could safely admire the landmark is whenever the road is congested through the area? I suppose passengers can still enjoy the view while in a car passing at 50-60mph though.

[Johnathan404]

At one point the article mentions the A303 having wonderful views of Stonehenge, but surely the only time drivers could safely admire the landmark is whenever the road is congested through the area? I suppose passengers can still enjoy the view while in a car passing at 50-60mph though.

How long do you take to admire something? You get a pretty clear view of it.

It's a moot point anyway because I have driven past Stonehenge at all times of daylight and at all times of year and I have never managed to do it without traffic coming to a halt.

[hoagy_ytfc]

At one point the article mentions the A303 having wonderful views of Stonehenge, but surely the only time drivers could safely admire the landmark is whenever the road is congested through the area? I suppose passengers can still enjoy the view while in a car passing at 50-60mph though.

ISTM that the road is congested _because_ people are "admiring the landmark". It's usually fairly clear either side of there. Heading west, it's rare (at the times I travel, at least) not to be fully up-to-speed well before the Longbarrow roundabout

[Chris5156]

At one point the article mentions the A303 having wonderful views of Stonehenge, but surely the only time drivers could safely admire the landmark is whenever the road is congested through the area? I suppose passengers can still enjoy the view while in a car passing at 50-60mph though.

The views are there whether you as a driver look at them or not. The fact that you always need to keep your eyes on the road when driving a car doesn’t mean that no road in the world has a view worth seeing.

[Herned]

ISTM that the road is congested _because_ people are "admiring the landmark". It's usually fairly clear either side of there. Heading west, it's rare (at the times I travel, at least) not to be fully up-to-speed well before the Longbarrow roundabout

This is not my experience, from 30+ years of driving up and down the A303. Westbound the only queues are caused by the end of the dual carriageway, I am astonished you would say it's usually fairly clear! It's very very often queued all the way back to the Countess Roundabout, even in the winter this is not unusual... Eastbound the delays are generally negligible or if it's bad it's generally bad all the way from the end of the previous bit of dual carriageway.

I posted this exact point last year with a screenshot of the traffic as it has come up repeatedly.

[Berk]

Are you able to link back to that screenshot??

[c2R]

I drove through on Monday evening heading westbound and the view coming over the hill there really is spectacular - it does remind me each time of the first time I ever saw it, with a beam of sunshine illuminating stonehenge on the plan on an overcast rainy day, much like the Turner painting. I take delight in that view, even if passing at the national speed limit - on a clear evening - like yesterday - it is possible to admire the stones even while passing at speed.

That said, I can understand how, if unexpected or to tourists, seeing such a sight for the first time may cause them to slow down, or to take their eyes off the road, and how, therefore it would probably be a good idea for the trunk road to be diverted. Similarly, the road needs widening and therefore it would make sense absolutely to tunnel it and remove the view. I for one would be quite happy to take a hike along the course of the old road to see the view across the plain without other man-made buildings or infrastructure being in the way, or sitting enjoying the atmosphere of the countryside without the road noise - and this from someone who believes the M62 cutting across the Pennines is a beautiful thing....

[Berk]

And let us not forget the poor people of Winterbourne Stoke - suffering decades of petrol and diesel fumes from idling traffic. Doomed to live without a bypass until everyone can agree a route for a Stonehenge Tunnel.

They’re the real losers in all this.

[Herned]

Are you able to link back to that screenshot??

Sure, from 1st September 2018

[Berk]

Well it may look red, but traffic isn’t usually stationary for long. You can usually do a 10mph crawl (not unlike the M25 then).

[Herned]

Well it may look red, but traffic isn’t usually stationary for long. You can usually do a 10mph crawl (not unlike the M25 then).

Usually that's right, but the main point is that the traffic heading west is slowed by the dual carriageway ending, not by the stones