A303 Stonehenge contractors named

The winning contractors for our archaeology and preliminary works have been announced.  To make sure the project is ready to move on if we get the green light in November, the contracts have been awarded ahead of the decision to enable the two successful companies to start pre-planning their work.  They are not expected to start on-site until late spring 2021.

One of the largest companies in the sector, Wessex Archaeology will be joining the project as archaeological specialists in a contract worth £35 million.  They’ll be carrying out excavations and work to record and preserve any archaeological finds.

They will also be helping to raise awareness of the importance of the archaeology and landscape by running a public archaeology and community engagement programme over the next few years. Local communities and visitors to Stonehenge will have a chance to learn about and engage with the heritage of the area.

Our £8.5 million preliminary works contract has been awarded to Osborne. They will be responsible for work that needs to be done before the actual construction starts, including site clearance, making sure we’ve protected local wildlife, getting us connected to water and some small road improvements.