[Travel] Not even Stonehenge is safe from the powerful car.

Stat Brother · Nov 12, 2020

Stonehenge A303 tunnel plan approved by transport secretary

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-54919205

A controversial plan to dig a £2.4bn road tunnel near Stonehenge has been approved by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

The A303, a popular route for motorists travelling to and from the south west, runs within a few hundred metres of the world heritage site.

The plan to build a two-mile (3.2km) tunnel out of sight of the monument was approved despite objections.

Campaigners said it was a "complete violation" and "international scandal".

GT49er · Nov 12, 2020

So now the owners of Stonehenge don't even want you to see it from your car as you drive past, unless you stop and pay?

Stat Brother · Nov 12, 2020

Despite it's age, this does always raise a smile:-

Eeyore · Nov 12, 2020

GT49er said:
So now the owners of Stonehenge don't even want you to see it from your car as you drive past, unless you stop and pay?

Whenever I've driven near it seems quite a disappointment.

Krusty · Nov 12, 2020

Brighton Lines said:
Whenever I've driven near it seems quite a disappointment.

It looks bigger when you get close to it.

thedonkeycentrehalf · Nov 12, 2020

Krusty said:
It looks bigger when you get close to it.

That line never worked with the ladies

Harry Wilson's tackle · Nov 12, 2020

The problem is that road is the main route to the west. Single lane. Rubber neckers. If they put in an underground dual carriage way it will fix the bottle neck. Unless I'm hallucinating, on this occasion Schapps has got it right.

PILTDOWN MAN · Nov 12, 2020

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
The problem is that road is the main route to the west. Single lane. Rubber neckers. If they put in an underground dual carriage way it will fix the bottle neck. Unless I'm hallucinating, on this occasion Schapps has got it right.

Being someone who has to use that route often, I concur. There's always a long hold up with rubber neckers looking at a pile of stones erected in the 1920's.

GT49er · Nov 12, 2020

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
The problem is that road is the main route to the west. Single lane. Rubber neckers. If they put in an underground dual carriage way it will fix the bottle neck. Unless I'm hallucinating, on this occasion Schapps has got it right.

Rad widening then, and if rubberneckers really are a problem, a twenty foot wall would be cheaper than a tunnel.

Pavilionaire · Nov 12, 2020

What I worry about this decision is the 'Domino Effect'.

Fungus · Nov 12, 2020

GT49er said:
Rad widening then, and if rubberneckers really are a problem, a twenty foot wall would be cheaper than a tunnel.

I wonder if any builders of short sections of wall will soon be available?

Harry Wilson's tackle · Nov 12, 2020

GT49er said:
Rad widening then, and if rubberneckers really are a problem, a twenty foot wall would be cheaper than a tunnel.

But you'd be able to see the wall from the stones, spoiling the ambience.

GT49er · Nov 12, 2020

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
But you'd be able to see the wall from the stones, spoiling the ambience.

OK then, a nice thick hedge - with a temporary fence in place until the hedge is big enough.

Pint of Ale and a Burger · Nov 12, 2020

2.4 billion Seems a bit of a waste of money for the reasons they are giving.
Also the people that built those sort of things seemed more in tune with the cosmos more than we are so maybe they chose that sight to tap into some earth energy underneath.
Digging a tunnel right below the stones may cut that energy flow.
Spend the money on something else I reckon.

PILTDOWN MAN · Nov 12, 2020

Pint of Ale and a Burger said:
2.4 billion Seems a bit of a waste of money for the reasons they are giving.
Also the people that built those sort of things seemed more in tune with the cosmos more than we are so maybe they chose that sight to tap into some earth energy underneath.
Digging a tunnel right below the stones may cut that energy flow.
Spend the money on something else I reckon.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn310-concrete-evidence/#:~:text=The%20first%20restoration%20project%20took,were%20moved%20and%20re%2Derected.

It's barely an antique. Its layout is just a vision by a few people of might have been at some point.

Pint of Ale and a Burger · Nov 12, 2020

PILTDOWN MAN said:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn310-concrete-evidence/#:~:text=The%20first%20restoration%20project%20took,were%20moved%20and%20re%2Derected.

It's barely an antique. Its layout is just a vision by a few people of might have been at some point.

Yes some folk have straightend a few of the stones over the years. I have seen the photos of them hoisting them into position. but the basic layout was already there.and the stones have been there for ages before they starting tidying them up.
It is still an ancient site.

MJsGhost · Nov 12, 2020

Pint of Ale and a Burger said:
Yes some folk have straightend a few of the stones over the years. I have seen the photos of them hoisting them into position. but the basic layout was already there.and the stones have been there for ages before they starting tidying them up.
It is still an ancient site.

Yep, and the site is way more than just the relatively small famous bit.

Whilst I think the idea of sorting out a bottleneck and burying the road would improve the site hugely in some regards (less noise & no spoiling of the views with a busy road), the huge construction project required will destroy a huge area of potentially significant archaeology.

Other than re-routing the traffic on a long detour, I don't really see what the solution is (other than finding more ways to reduce road traffic in general of course)

AlastairWatts · Nov 12, 2020

Will this tunnel affect the 'ley lines' running through to Chanctonbury Ring? Who knows what's down there under Stonehenge? Older members may remember the Quatermass episode with the buried alien spacecraft blocking construction of a new tube tunnel. (My mum wouldn't let me watch but I did catch up years later) Presumably Prof Q has long gone but hopefully there's a successor...

PILTDOWN MAN · Nov 12, 2020

Pint of Ale and a Burger said:
Yes some folk have straightend a few of the stones over the years. I have seen the photos of them hoisting them into position. but the basic layout was already there.and the stones have been there for ages before they starting tidying them up.
It is still an ancient site.

Straightened a few stones??

Swansman · Nov 12, 2020

Brighton Lines said:
Whenever I've driven near it seems quite a disappointment.

Does seem a bit overrated. It doesnt even do anything!

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