FROM impacts on the environment to finances and congestion along the A303, the team behind the potential Stonehenge tunnel has responded to your concerns.

The controversial scheme to build eight miles of dual carriageway, including a tunnel of at least two miles under the World Heritage Site, has resurfaced, after National Highways revealed its preferred contractor for the upgrade.

The scheme would also create a new bypass to the north of Winterbourne Stoke and junctions with the A345 and A360.

While the project team waits in hope for a green light from the secretary of state, to then go ahead with 12 to 18 months of preliminary work, project manager David Bullock spoke to the Journal about readers’ issues with the £1.7 billion scheme.

Risks to nature and wildlife?

Disruption to the environment and wildlife is a major concern for residents.

In response to this, Mr Bullock said: “Our method is what we are taking away, we are giving much more.”

Tree planting in Winterbourne Stoke, increasing bat habitat, supporting unique ground nest birds and offering additional habitat and chalk grounds are some of the ways in which the team is striving to make up for nature lost in the construction process.

Future archaeological discovery?

Referring to concerns about future archaeological discovery, Mr Bullock said there “is strong understanding of the whole site”, with areas of “national importance” recorded and dealt with.

Adding that archaeology is “at the forefront of this construction”, the manager said: “I have never done a project with this much research into archaeology, it is unprecedented, the focus is on making sure what is there is understood, recorded and protected.”

Mr Bullock assured all archaeological areas of national importance have been identified, as experts have been working there "for decades", and later less significant discoveries would only strengthen understanding of the site.

He added experts and organisations including Wessex Archaeology and Historic England will be working with National Highways throughout construction.

Why £1.7billion?

Responding to queries about the cost, Mr Bullock said the scheme was government funded, adding: “This sum is the end-to-end payment, not just construction, it’s the getting the road open, the preliminary works, completing everything.”

Other ways to ease congestion?

Protestors in Salisbury recently told the Journal that public transport is one way in which congestion can be eased along the A303, replacing the need for a tunnel, but Mr Bullock fears this is not enough.

Describing the single lane between Amesbury and Berwick Down as “choking the south west”, he said: “The traffic here isn’t going away, it’s one of the most important routes connecting the south west and south east, it’s only going to get worse.

"There has been a steady increase of traffic along this road for the last 20 years.”

What next?

National Highways is currently waiting for the Secretary of State to make a decision on the latest application.

“This is unchartered territory,” Mr Bullock said, referring to the redetermination process at hand, “how long this will take we don’t know”.

If given the go-ahead, preliminary work will begin on the site.

Further questions?

A ‘live chat’ is set to go ahead today, June 16, inviting residents to receive even more information about the project, and ask questions and raise concerns with the team.

Around 150 people have already signed up.

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