The nearly three-kilometre long tunnel, meant to ease congestion on an important east-west road axis, has been heavily criticized by several associations united in the Stonehenge Alliance group. At the end of July 2021, Justice declared the plan illegal because at the time Transport Minister Grant Shabbs had not considered an alternative solution, although he was required to do so by the site’s classified status.
A “permanent and irreversible damage”
The government gave the green light to the project in autumn 2020, despite opposition from a group of urban planning experts who warned it risked “permanent and irreversible damage” to the archaeological site.
Unesco has warned that the prehistoric site, a World Heritage Site since 1986, could be added to its list of “endangered” sites if the plan goes ahead and could eventually lose its World Heritage Site status.
5000 years old site
Built in phases between approximately 3000 and 2300 BC, Stonehenge is one of the most important prehistoric megalithic monuments in the world for its size, sophisticated plan and architectural precision. Its standing stones, which form a set of mysterious circles, attract thousands of people each year to the pagan festivals of the solstice.
In a 64-page document approving the plan, Transport Minister Mark Harper said the impact on the landscape should be minimized and weighed against the benefit to the public.
Wrath of archaeologists
Kate Fieldon, archaeologist and secretary of the Stonehenge Alliance, condemned the project as causing “serious and irreversible damage” to the site.
“It’s not just the subway. “There will be large and deep cuts in the landscape on each side, the archeology will be destroyed,” he denounced to the British agency PA. “This is a colossal intervention,” he stressed, and also mentioned the possibility of a new legal action.
A crowded road axle
The main road that uses the tunnel, the A303, can be congested on holidays heading south and west.
“This saga is starting to look as old as stone, and it’s not over yet,” replied Steve Gooding, director of motorists’ RAC Foundation, hoping for new appeals. He recalled that since 1991, dozens of projects to improve traffic flow in the area have succeeded.
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