Grayling hails "big decision" on Stonehenge tunnel to upgrade the A303

The aim is to deliver "a mile a minute" journeys whilst removing "the sight and sound of traffic"

The transport secretary Chris Grayling today hails a "big decision" over the construction of a tunnel at the historic Stonehenge site in a bid to develop the A303 into a "high-quality, high-performing route".

Grayling announced a public consultation on plans to upgrade a seven-mile single carriageway stretch of the A303 in Wiltshire into a dual carriageway with a 1.8-mile tunnel which he said would "remove the sight and sound of traffic and enhance the World Heritage site" while delivering "a mile a minute" journeys. This follows the 2014 Road investment strategy which committed the Government to upgrading all remaining sections of the A303 to dual carriageway.

The A303/A30/A358 corridor connects London and the South East to the South West, complementing the M4/M5 as a second strategic route. There are currently over 35 miles of single carriageway. The Stonehenge tunnel plans were welcomed by English Heritage, which cares for the stones, and the National Trust, which owns 2,000 acres of the surrounding land, in 2014. But groups such as the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Campaign for Better Transport have campaigned for a 2.8-mile tunnel. 

Highways England said the consultation will run until 5th March and will inform a decision on a preferred alignment.