Stonehenge Tunnel

[Pebbles167]

I'm sure it's been asked/answered, but would a fat hedgerow with some trees not work?

Costlier than the fence cheaper than the tunnel. Benefit of blocking view, without ruining the natural aesthetic or costing the country billions.

No idea what this would cost, I was frankly amazed at the supposed cost of the tunnel.

[SydneyBridge]

The problem is when the two lanes go down to one at both ends, desperately needs dual carriagway some how

[WrekinCrew]

"The biggest majority of the collisions occurred happened at the Longbarrow Roundabout".*

- and you can't see Stonehenge from the roundabout - see Streetview.

• (Yes I know the English is mangled)

[Zetec-S]

SydneyBridge said:

The problem is when the two lanes go down to one at both ends, desperately needs dual carriagway some how

Yep. Screening off Stonehenge with fencing/trees and extending the dual carriageway would only push the problem down the road. The plans weren’t just for a tunnel but also a bypass round Winterbourne Stoke linking to the dual carriageway to the west.

[Saleen836]

Sorting out Longbarrow roundabout will make a huge difference

[the tribester]

So the Government have scrapped the project.

[Blackpuddin]

The decision to chop it was ultimately driven by financial expediency but it should have been binned long ago on simple common sense grounds. The most egregious vanity/jobs for the boys project I can remember in my 70 years.

[Zetec-S]

I understand (and agree with) the financial reasons, but not sure I agree with the common sense argument? May I ask why you think that way?

[Blackpuddin]

500 ton press to crack a walnut.

[Zetec-S]

A fence/screen won't fix the traffic issues. The bottleneck is where the A303 merges into 1 lane at the top of the hill heading west, and then at Longbarrow Roundabout / Winterbourne Stoke.

[Blackpuddin]

Those issues don't need £1.7 billion or anything like it throwing at them. And that was the estimate for the work which as we all know would have overrun horribly.

[gareth h]

Zetec-S said:

A fence/screen won't fix the traffic issues. The bottleneck is where the A303 merges into 1 lane at the top of the hill heading west, and then at Longbarrow Roundabout / Winterbourne Stoke.

It needs a dual carriageway and screening, not a tunnel, which to me seemed like a vanity project

[Zetec-S]

So basically along the lines of the proposal, but screening where the tunnel is instead:

[CloudStuff]

Zetec-S said:

So basically along the lines of the proposal, but screening where the tunnel is instead:

Billions of pounds saved, when a few trips to B&Q will do the trick. I like it!

[gareth h]

Zetec-S said:

So basically along the lines of the proposal, but screening where the tunnel is instead:

Yep, that’s it, I used to have offices at Solstice Park, and was tempted to sell maps of the Amesbury / Larkhill / Shrewton rat run to drivers queuing back up the hill from Countess roundabout.

[SydneyBridge]

When the traffic is back to Solstice park it is definately back route time....

[The Don of Croy]

I always thought (when living in Somerset) that what they really need to do is isolate Stonehenge.

Remove all roads within a 1km perimeter.

But, at the same time, build alternatives to allow free flow of through traffic, visitors, druids, etc., perhaps using that opportunity to sort out the nightmare that is the Salisbury road system.

Stonehenge can be developed as the unique 'ancient' landscape, visitors can immerse themselves in it, all the surrounding barrows / tumuli / other ancient bits can also be preserved, and the nation can cash in massively from tourist dollars.

Next; Avebury.

I'm not charging for this...although it is interesting to note that the most recent contract for the tunnel project (>£2 billion) was offered to a consortium of four foreign civil engineering companies. So that'll help our (woeful) balance of payments deficit.