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Construction News
17/07/2023
Green Light For Stonehedge Tunnel Scheme
The Government has granted a development consent order to develop a new tunnel near Stonehedge.
The A303 Stonehedge upgrade includes a two-mile-long tunnel underneath the Stonehedge site. It also includes eight miles of new dual carriageway between Amesbury and Berwick Down, a new bypass to the north of the village of Winterbourne Stoke and junctions with the A345 and A360 on either side of the World Heritage Site.
National Highways has appointed the MORE joint venture as the main works contractor for the upgrade. MORE is a partnership between FCC Construcción, WeBuild and BeMo Tunnelling.
Costain and Mott MacDonald will act as the project's Delivery Assurance Partner, providing technical and construction management for the scheme.
The proposals were initially granted consent in 2020, however, a high court challenge meant the proposals went through a redetermination process. There remains a six-week period during which the decision to grant approval can be legally challenged.
Should the project survive any potential legal challenges it is expected to take five years to complete. Ahead of the main work, Wessex Archaeology will carry out archaeological mitigation work, while Octavius will undertake preliminary work, including the reconfiguration of local authority roads.
Commenting on the project, Cllr Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "We're delighted that consent has been granted once again for the A303 Stonehenge project and it can now move forward.
"This huge infrastructure project represents a significant investment in Wiltshire that will boost the economy of both our county and the wider region, unlocking jobs and investment.
"Along with the construction, there will also be a comprehensive programme of archaeological mitigation, which will enhance our understanding of the World Heritage Site.
"We can now look forward to construction starting and unlocking all the benefits the scheme will bring both to Wiltshire communities and the wider south-west region."
Reflecting on their involvement, National Highways' Chief Executive, Nick Harris said: "The A303 Stonehenge scheme is part of the biggest investment in our road network for a generation, and I'm really pleased the project has been given the green light by the Secretary of State for Transport – a decision which will enable us to progress this transformational scheme and deliver the planned benefits.
"The decision follows a lot of work on a comprehensive year-long process to reassess our Development Consent Order, looking in detail at possible alternatives, also including cumulative carbon and heritage issues.
"It means we're now a step closer to solving the longstanding issues of congestion and delays on the existing A303, improving journeys for all our customers and bringing much-need relief to local communities.
"The investment, along with other improvements along the A303, will help to boost the South West economy, improve journey reliability, remove the sight and sound of traffic from this very busy road and return one of our most important World Heritage Sites to something like its original setting."
The A303 Stonehedge upgrade includes a two-mile-long tunnel underneath the Stonehedge site. It also includes eight miles of new dual carriageway between Amesbury and Berwick Down, a new bypass to the north of the village of Winterbourne Stoke and junctions with the A345 and A360 on either side of the World Heritage Site.
National Highways has appointed the MORE joint venture as the main works contractor for the upgrade. MORE is a partnership between FCC Construcción, WeBuild and BeMo Tunnelling.
Costain and Mott MacDonald will act as the project's Delivery Assurance Partner, providing technical and construction management for the scheme.
The proposals were initially granted consent in 2020, however, a high court challenge meant the proposals went through a redetermination process. There remains a six-week period during which the decision to grant approval can be legally challenged.
Should the project survive any potential legal challenges it is expected to take five years to complete. Ahead of the main work, Wessex Archaeology will carry out archaeological mitigation work, while Octavius will undertake preliminary work, including the reconfiguration of local authority roads.
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Commenting on the project, Cllr Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "We're delighted that consent has been granted once again for the A303 Stonehenge project and it can now move forward.
"This huge infrastructure project represents a significant investment in Wiltshire that will boost the economy of both our county and the wider region, unlocking jobs and investment.
"Along with the construction, there will also be a comprehensive programme of archaeological mitigation, which will enhance our understanding of the World Heritage Site.
"We can now look forward to construction starting and unlocking all the benefits the scheme will bring both to Wiltshire communities and the wider south-west region."
Reflecting on their involvement, National Highways' Chief Executive, Nick Harris said: "The A303 Stonehenge scheme is part of the biggest investment in our road network for a generation, and I'm really pleased the project has been given the green light by the Secretary of State for Transport – a decision which will enable us to progress this transformational scheme and deliver the planned benefits.
"The decision follows a lot of work on a comprehensive year-long process to reassess our Development Consent Order, looking in detail at possible alternatives, also including cumulative carbon and heritage issues.
"It means we're now a step closer to solving the longstanding issues of congestion and delays on the existing A303, improving journeys for all our customers and bringing much-need relief to local communities.
"The investment, along with other improvements along the A303, will help to boost the South West economy, improve journey reliability, remove the sight and sound of traffic from this very busy road and return one of our most important World Heritage Sites to something like its original setting."
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