ents to
the A303 identified by a joint working party whose members were drawn
from the Highways Agency, English Heritage and the National Trust (Tunnel
Vision 1997). Several alternative tunnel routes were considered, including
a short or long tunnel on the present route of the A303, and long or short
tunnels taking the A303 further north (see Figure 2). Flexibility was,
and is, limited by the Highways Agency's practice of building short stretches
of dual carriageway on existing trunk roads resulting, in this case, in
a 'gun barrel' aimed along the route of the A303 at either side of the
World Heritage site (Brian Davidson, interview 15/3/99).
The Stonehenge Master Plan, published in September 1998,
sets out the current proposal by English Heritage and the Highways Agency
to build a 2 km. cut and cover tunnel following the existing route of
A303. The tunnel is intermediate in length compared to the short ('yellow')
and long ('EHNT4') cut and cover tunnels on this route envisaged in 1997.
The Master Plan claims that the cut and cover tunnel is 'the only scheme
deliverable'. The entire cost is available from government, making it
one of only two currently authorised trunk road improvements costing over
£100 million. The cost is said to be £125 million (Master
plan 1998: 3). Geoffrey Wainwright reports the Prime Minister has said
that the government cannot afford the £300 million required to construct
a deep bore tunnel. Wainwright considers the cut-and-cover tunnel will
achieve the principle objective of enabling visitors to roam across the
landscape around Stonehenge. Consultation with 40 organisations took place
in February 1999 through the medium of focus groups. The results of this
consultation will be published at the end of March. The Highways Agency
is chairing discussion of the A303's conversion to a dual carriageway
and placing it in a cut and cover tunnel. The alternative of a deep bore
tunnel is not being considered. The preferred route of the tunnel will
be announced by the Minister, Chris Smith, at the end of May. A management
plan for Stonehenge will be published by November 1999. Future land use
will be determined according to this plan (Wainwright, interview 24/2/99).
Benefits of cut-and-cover tunnel
The Master Plan reports that the proposed tunnel will reduce traffic noise
at Stonehenge to 'bird song level', enable the re-creation of areas of
permanent down land and restore the setting of the stone circle in relation
to the other 450 sites in the World Heritage area. Use of footpaths and
cycle ways within the area will be encouraged. An editorial in Antiquity
further reports the network of footpath and bridle ways in the area will
be extended (anon 1998: 733). Farmers will be compensated for no longer
ploughing land within the World Heritage site, although this step could
be taken independently of tunnel construction. Wainwright reports that
small ploughed areas would remain (interview 24/2/99). 'There will be
free access for the public to walk among the Stones' (Master plan 1998:
10). It should be noted, however, that the current barrier around the
stone circle is not a consequence of the proximity of roads, but a response
to public demonstrations during the 1980s. A fear of vandalism remains
in some quarters, which must be overcome before the barrier can be removed
(Wainwright, interview 24/2/99).
Costs of the cut-and-cover tunnel
(a) Financial cost. The estimate for the cut-and-cover tunnel is reported
to have been submitted to the Government by Ove Arup, not commissioned.
If excavations are delayed by popular demonstrations, the cost will increase.
Demonstrations against the Newbury By-pass are said to have cost about
£20 million. Similar demonstrations would raise the reported cost
of the cut and cover tunnel to 150 million pounds.
(b) Impact of tunnel construction. The cut and cover tunnel
will not disturb land outside existing the northern [Stonehenge side]
boundary of the A303, except in the western approach cutting, but a 35
metre strip would be added to the width of the existing road when land
is 