The Institution of Highways

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A303 Stonehenge Improvement
SCHEME REVIEW - PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Chris Jones
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Content

• Scheme Objectives
• Scheme History
• Published Scheme Cost Increase
• Scheme Review Terms of Reference
• Options under Consideration
• Way Forward

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Scheme Objectives

• Remove roads and traffic from the heart of the
  World Heritage Site around Stonehenge
• Provide a bypass for Winterbourne Stoke
• Reduce accidents and congestion

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Scheme History

• 1991 to 1993 over 50 routes considered
• 1993 Public Consultation
• 1995 Planning Conference
• 1996 Scheme dropped
• 1998 Exceptional environmental scheme announced
• 2002 Bored tunnel announced

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Published Scheme Cost Increase
Public
Inquiry Estimate Current
Estimate Construction cost 192m
(2003 prices) 292m (2003
prices) Total scheme budget 284m (2005
start) 510m (2008
start) Construction period 42 months
52 months

The principal reasons for the cost increase are

• Extensive quantities of phosphatic (soft, weak)
  chalk.
• Mechanical electrical equipment including fire
  suppression.
• H S Executives greatly reduced limits to air
  pollutants.
• Wider fluctuation of groundwater levels.
• Higher estimates from utility companies.
  

• 59m
• 20m
• 12.5m
• 4.7m
• 3.8m

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Scheme Review Terms of Reference

• To review options for improving the A303 trunk
  road between Amesbury and
• Berwick Down taking into account the findings of
  the Inspectors report published
• in July 2005, the commitments set out in the
  Stonehenge World Heritage Site
• Management Plan, and proposals for a new visitor
  centre.

• The Review will
• update the costs and benefits of the Published
  Scheme put to Public Inquiry
• update the costs and benefits of the alternative
  options put forward at the Public Inquiry, and
  possible variants, on a like-for-like basis with
  the updated costs and benefits of the Published
  Scheme
• identify a shortlist of alternative options
  judged worthy of further detailed consideration
  in pursuing the Governments objectives for the
  scheme
• 
  
  /Cont

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Scheme Review Terms of Reference

• 
  
  /Cont
• The Review will
• d) consult widely on the key findings from tasks
  (a) to (c) above
• e) review consultation responses and complete a
  full assessment of the performance of the
  Published Scheme and the shortlisted options
  against the Governments objectives, looking in
  particular at each options overall value for
  money, compatibility with the Stonehenge
  Management Plan and plans for a new visitor
  centre, environmental impacts, relief of
  congestion on the A303, affordability and
  deliverability
• f) prepare a report to Ministers on the results
  of the consultation exercise and the performance
  of each shortlisted option in relation to the
  factors listed at (e) above.

The Review will also consider whether there are
any implications for the strategy of improving
other sections of the A303/A358 corridor to the
west of Stonehenge.
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Options under Consideration

• Each option includes a bypass at Winterbourne
• Stoke and a flyover at Countess Roundabout.
• Published Scheme grade-separated junction
• with A360 at Longbarrow Crossroads and a
• 2.1km bored tunnel.
• Cut Cover Option follows line of
• Published Scheme.
• Northern Option grade-separated junction
• with A360 at Airmans Corner and a
• 0.27km tunnel.
• Southern Option grade-separated junction
• with A360 at Longbarrow Crossroads.
• Partial Solution retains existing single
• carriageway within the WHS and closes
• the A344/A303 junction.

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Published Scheme

• Advantages
• Removes roads and traffic from sight.
• Follows existing A303 alignment which minimises
  encroachment.
• Reduces effect on archaeological resource in the
  World Heritage Site.
• Allows open access between major monument groups.

• Disadvantages
• Deep approach cuttings to tunnel within the World
  Heritage Site.
• Western tunnel approach cutting close to three
  Scheduled Monuments.
• Grade-separated junction layout at Longbarrow
  Crossroads larger than current roundabout.

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Cut Cover Option

• Disadvantages
• Tunnel breaches the ground surface in Stonehenge
  Bottom as a 9m high grass covered mound.
• Loss of any unknown archaeological remains over
  length of tunnel.
• Western tunnel approach cutting close to three
  Scheduled Monuments.
• Traffic management during construction difficult.

• Advantages
• Removes roads and traffic from sight.
• Cheaper than bored tunnel.
• Smaller approach cuttings.
• Allows open access between major monument groups.

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Northern Option

• Disadvantages
• New alignment severance within World Heritage
  Site.
• Traffic still visible from Stonehenge.
• Adverse visual and noise effects.
• Direct impact on Archaeological remains.
• Separates Stonehenge from important monuments.
• Close to The Cursus and King Barrow Ridge.
• Conflict with the proposed new Visitor Centre.

• Advantages
• Avoids Longbarrow Crossroads.
• Cheaper than the Published Scheme.
• Removes roads from Stonehenge.
• Allows open access between major monument groups.

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Southern Option

• Disadvantages
• New alignment severance within World Heritage
  Site.
• Adverse effect on remote attractive landscape.
• Direct effect on Scheduled prehistoric linear
  earthwork.
• Adverse effects on the setting of three barrow
  groups and outlying Scheduled Monuments.
• Crosses an area planned for habitat enhancement
  to benefit a protected bird species.

• Advantages
• Traffic mostly hidden from Stonehenge.
• No significant effects on properties.
• Improves setting of Longbarrow.
• Cheaper than Published Scheme.
• Allows open access between major monument groups.

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Partial Solution Option

• Disadvantages
• Does not remove the view of traffic on the A303
  at Stonehenge.
• Does not allow open access between most of the
  major monument groups around Stonehenge.
• Does not relieve congestion on A303 through World
  Heritage Site.

• Advantages
• Provides bypass of Winterbourne Stoke.
• Improves setting of long barrow at Longbarrow
  Crossroads.
• Improves safety and eases congestion at Countess
  Roundabout, and improves safety at Stonehenge
  Bottom .
• Cheaper than Published Scheme.

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Way Forward

• Public Consultation until 24th April 2006
• Complete detailed Assessment of options
• Report consultation results and options
  assessment by early summer
• Ministers subsequently decide way forward