A303 at Stonehenge

[bitwrx]

tuffer said:

ScoobyChris said:

When I used to do that route regularly, I got fed up of getting stuck/crawling through that section (especially in the summer months) and often opted to turn off at the Solstice services and head north and through Bulford camp and onto Chitterne. Nice long sight lines and an opportunity to stretch the car's legs

Chris

I do occasionally go that way but the local villages are being hit hard by the traffic and being local myself I feel for them, the council should have put in a dual carriageway or a tunnel, even a fence to block the Stones from sight would help.

+1, don't do that yerbds! Shrewton high street is getting congested. If it carries on, it's only a matter of time before they introduce parking restrictions to ease traffic flow.

The real issue with the 303 congestion, IMO at least, is what to do at winterbourne stoke. Dualling that bit is not possible. A bypass would be a travesty on the local landscape. Leaving it as-is and tunnelling past the henge would just make the tunnel a large two-lane car park.

What is the latest proposal for winterbourne? No longer being a permanent local, I've rather lost track!

[Red Devil]

bitwrx said:

The real issue with the 303 congestion, IMO at least, is what to do at winterbourne stoke. Dualling that bit is not possible.

Why?

bitwrx said:

A bypass would be a travesty on the local landscape.

Again, why?

bitwrx said:

Leaving it as-is and tunnelling past the henge would just make the tunnel a large two-lane car park.

Indeed. The whole point is to dual all the sections that currently aren't. To make any sense, the tunnel would need to be constructed in conjunction with a by-pass of Winterbourne Stoke.

bitwrx said:

What is the latest proposal for winterbourne? No longer being a permanent local, I've rather lost track!

Good question.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/David-Cameron-B...

The real one though is whether, should there be a change of government in 2015, it will be once again kicked into the long grass. Which was exactly what happened to the Sparkford to Ilchester dualling in 1997. Everything was good to go and the incoming government promptly declared a moratorium on road building projects! It's always easier to do procrastinate and do nothing than bite the bullet.

The A303 has been a mess of pottage for the best part of 60 years. When the M4/M5 route was constructed it was intended that the A303 would then be dualled throughout. That was back in the mid to late 70s. Nearly 40 years later the arguments still rumble on.