And finally… Plans unveiled to tunnel under Stonehenge
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Major plans to transform the A303, which will see the construction of a tunnel at the historic Stonehenge site, have been unveiled by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The A303 that runs past the World Heritage Site in Wiltshire is a notorious bottleneck on the route to the South West.
As well as easing congestion, the tunnel would remove the sight and sound of traffic for people visiting Stonehenge, DfT officials claimed.
It is part of a £2 billion investment in the area.
A major international report published in May last year concluded that a tunnel could benefit Stonehenge if the scheme is well designed and constructed. It also has the backing of Highways England and heritage groups that manage the area.
However, campaign group Stonehenge Alliance opposes the plans on the basis that a tunnel shorter than 2.7-miles would do “irreparable damage to the landscape”.
A petition against the proposals has gathered more than 22,000 signatures.
A consultation into the Stonehenge proposals will run until March 5, with the preferred route announced later this year.
The scheme to tackle congestion in the area was announced by the Government in December 2014.
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