Stonehenge: for/against the Tunnel?

[Guest]

A reminder of how Stonehenge looked exactly a year ago today.



Reading about the threat to the amazing new archaeological discoveries at Blick Mead nearby by the proposed tunnel, alleged by some to be a means of maximising income from the site ( some years if not decades later for any profit given the usual underestimate of costs) I found a petition to halt such a plan and here it is

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-proposed-road-tunnel-or-any-building-works-around-or-under-stonehenge

It certainly is the case that traffic is jamming up in both directions at that point but until the rest of the A303 to the west is improved the jams will still exist and the idea of the slow moving/stationary traffic sitting in the tunnel while the usual crawl through Winterbourne Stoke and beyond takes place isn't a pleasant one. (.. is only one of many observations that can be made.)

[Gordon]

This tunnel is only the latest in a number of abortive schemes to deal with the A303 traffic.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120810121037/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/documents/Stonehenge_Leaflet_web_version.pdf

Even in winter the queues in each direction can be long as I know from experience but the delays are tolerable; it is the summer traffic that causes the major issue. The implied route for improvement of the 5 miles or so gap between the dual sections is obvious and to avoid stonehenge and its associated archaeological sites would mean a very considerable diversion. The newly extended roundabout at the west end of that is still part of the problem; closing the Devizes road junction has certainly helped but is by no means a solution because the tourists still have to gain access off the A303 at that roundabout.

I wonder what the villagers in Winterbourne think; in the summer the locals can barely cross the road for traffic. It is only a short section through the village with a 40 limit [and a camera] but enough to cause a bottleneck. A Gordian knot of a problem which will probably never be solved anytime soon. No doubt if the tunnel plan does get to go ahead there will be the usual Newbury Bypass type demonstrations.

[teamsaint]

The Countess Road junction, where the dualling which runs from London to Amesbury finishes,has been a shambles for years.
Its a real pain for locals and long distance travellers alike.Fairly typical of our woeful road planning, the A303 /A30 should have been fully dualled , at least to Bodmin, many years ago.
I use the route from Amesbury to the west very regularly,and Stonehenge is by a long way the worst bottleneck, followed by the single carriage section through the Blackdown hills , East of Honiton. As the OP suggests, there is a danger that the bottle necks could just be pushed west towards The busy junctions round Yeovil for instance.
The issue needs a strategic solution, with a new dualled section completely avoiding Stonehenge, ( not easy perhaps, but perhaps the military could give up a little of the Plain, )and proper dualling as said, as far as exeter, where the road improves significantly.

As for the tunnel, I have no idea of its virtues, although it seems like an expensive way to proceed. Not sure why the road can't be widened to the south, but it really needs doing on this important route.

As for the Stonehenge visitor centre, despite looking and being much nicer than the old centre, it is primarily a massive money spinner for EH, at the expense of musch of the other tourist sites in the south and west,including the big hitters in Bath.

[Lat-Literal]

A reminder of how Stonehenge looked exactly a year ago today.



Reading about the threat to the amazing new archaeological discoveries at Blick Mead nearby by the proposed tunnel, alleged by some to be a means of maximising income from the site ( some years if not decades later for any profit given the usual underestimate of costs) I found a petition to halt such a plan and here it is

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-proposed-road-tunnel-or-any-building-works-around-or-under-stonehenge

It certainly is the case that traffic is jamming up in both directions at that point but until the rest of the A303 to the west is improved the jams will still exist and the idea of the slow moving/stationary traffic sitting in the tunnel while the usual crawl through Winterbourne Stoke and beyond takes place isn't a pleasant one. (.. is only one of many observations that can be made.)

Why did Stonehenge look like that a year ago? Was it vandalised? I am not in favour of the tunnel. The best view of it is from the road and there isn't, actually, much to be said for permitting people to get any closer to it. A tunnel would remove any future option for restricting closer access. Maybe I have been fortunate on the A303 but it is the nearest I have by way of association to an open road. There is almost an American romance in my head in regard to it with Stonehenge itself being the symbolic distinction between South East and South West and more space. I was also grateful for the parts that are single carriageway on a return drive from an interview at Exeter. The snow and fog were so bad, seasoned drivers decided not to proceed but I managed to get home driving at 20mph. It took me hours and the dual carriageway parts were the worst because of glare and not knowing quite which part of the road the car was on. In fact, I prefer duals to motorways but a combination of duals and singles to simply duals as it varies the driving experience.

Having said as much, I haven't driven since 1993 although I have been on that stretch more than 30 times since!

[Hornspieler]

Speaking as one who was born about as close to Stonehenge as it is possible to be (Nº 1 Married Quarters, Larkhill Camp) I am totally against this tunnel. Why not divert the road? There's a helluva lot of open country on Salisbury Plain and, apart from being less expensive than driving a tunnel through once hallowed ground, why deprive families of holiday makers heading to the West Country from enjoying this magnificent reminder of our heritage?

Widening the existing carriageway is a much more sensible and economic way of reducing traffic congestion.

Lat Literal makes a very good case and I quite agree with his contribution to this thread

HS

[Sydney Grew]

Just now I attempted to sign this petition, but was told by "Registered Company No. 6642193" that my postal code is not a postal code, and that unless it was I couldn't.

In the early 'sixties - that time when every one was better behaved - I walked among these stones putting my hands etc. upon each so as to absorb its subtle and lasting emanations.

But "helluva" no; that's far too crude an expression to be used here.

[Lat-Literal]

Speaking as one who was born about as close to Stonehenge as it is possible to be (Nº 1 Married Quarters, Larkhill Camp) I am totally against this tunnel. Why not divert the road? There's a helluva lot of open country on Salisbury Plain and, apart from being less expensive than driving a tunnel through once hallowed ground, why deprive families of holiday makers heading to the West Country from enjoying this magnificent reminder of our heritage?

Widening the existing carriageway is a much more sensible and economic way of reducing traffic congestion.

Lat Literal makes a very good case and I quite agree with his contribution to this thread

HS

Thank you for your good comments Hornspieler. We did have correspondence in '12 about which I am very appreciative.

Just now I attempted to sign this petition, but was told by "Registered Company No. 6642193" that my postal code is not a postal code, and that unless it was I couldn't.

In the early 'sixties - that time when every one was better behaved - I walked among these stones putting my hands etc. upon each so as to absorb its subtle and lasting emanations.

But "helluva" no; that's far too crude an expression to be used here.

Welcome back Sydney.

I re-joined in August. With one exception you last posted in April. I always found your posts very interesting and challenging.

Tasmania?

Post regularly!

[clive heath]

In a belated answer to Lat-Literal's questions; firstly, I can't find the occasion/thread on which I first posted this picture; secondly, no, it hasn't been vandalised but the view and illumination are not the familiar ones. Specifically, it was taken from the A303 within a few days of the Winter Solstice just before sunset and from a spot a few hundred yards east of the roundabout.

edit: just found this re nearby Blick's Mead

http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/tag/blick-mead/

[Lat-Literal]

In a belated answer to Lat-Literal's questions; firstly, I can't find the occasion/thread on which I first posted this picture; secondly, no, it hasn't been vandalised but the view and illumination are not the familiar ones. Specifically, it was taken from the A303 within a few days of the Winter Solstice just before sunset and from a spot a few hundred yards east of the roundabout.

edit: just found this re nearby Blick's Mead

http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle....ag/blick-mead/

Thank you very much Clive.

I suppose my preference is for an A303 by-pass to address that section so that the by-pass would effectively become the A303.