Benefits
Our scheme will deliver significant long-term benefits for the South West economy, the World Heritage Site, local communities and the environment.
The Stonehenge World Heritage Site is globally important – a landscape without parallel. Removing the sight and sound of the noisy, busy road from most of the World Heritage Site will return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting. It will allow people to better enjoy and the ancient stones and help them to explore and understand many other fascinating prehistoric monuments in the surrounding landscape.
Unlocking the south west:
- improving connections between the south east and south west
- unlocking economic development
- boosting growth in jobs and housing
Faster, safer, more reliable journeys:
- improving journey times – transforming what can take 60 minutes or longer to just 7 or 8 minutes
- making it safer by reducing the number of collisions with a positive knock-on effect for local roads
- reducing congestion and unexpected delays
- Removing the sight and sound of traffic and restoring tranquillity to the setting of Stonehenge
- Reuniting the north and south parts of the World Heritage Site – allowing visitors to enjoy the whole landscape
- Making it easier to reach and explore the World Heritage Site linking footpaths and bridleways with new byways
- Reconnecting 'The Avenue' – an ancient ceremonial processional route currently severed by the A303
Enhancing biodiversity
- reinstating a rural landscape of gentle rolling chalk downland
- allowing wildlife to move freely above the tunnel and across green bridges
- creating new chalk grassland and enhance biodiversity
Providing a positive lasting legacy for local communities:
- returning life in the village of Winterbourne Stoke to its previous peaceful existence
- removing rat-running traffic in local villages making it safer and easier for people to go about their daily lives
- making journeys between different parts of Amesbury easier by taking the A303 over Countess roundabout
- improving connections for cyclists, walkers and horse riders by creating new rights of way
Our legacy
The design of our scheme will deliver enormous benefits. But we want to do more. We aim to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit local residents and visitors alike. Whether that’s looking at new cycle paths, creating apprenticeships or helping to attract sustainable tourism.
We have already started working with local stakeholders, organisations and groups to identify the best areas to concentrate on. Our Community Forum is helping to shape the legacy too.
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