<< Sites under Threat >> Spiralling estimates spark A303 review
Submitted by PaulM on Wednesday, 20 July 2005 Page Views: 2743
StonehengeRoads Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman today announced that a detailed review of the options to ease congestion on the A303 and improve the setting around Stonehenge is to be carried out. The review is necessary because there has been a very substantial increase in the estimated costs of the proposed Stonehenge tunnel since the scheme went to Public Inquiry.Following recent detailed site survey work carried out by the Highways Agency the estimated costs of the scheme have risen from £284m when the draft Orders were published in 2003 to some £470m. This significant increase on original costs is due to two main factors; very large quantities of phosphatic (soft, weak) chalk and a high water table, with the groundwater potentially rising to the surface at times of heavy rainfall. These factors would significantly complicate the tunnelling process and extend the overall construction period of the scheme.
Dr Stephen Ladyman said:
"The increase in scheme costs represents a significant change to the basis on which the Government originally decided to progress this scheme. Our recognition of the importance of Stonehenge as a World Heritage Site remains unchanged but given the scale of the cost increase we have to re-examine whether the scheme still represents value for money and if it remains the best option for delivering the desired improvements".
The Government plans to carry out a detailed review of the options, consulting relevant environmental interests including, in particular, English Heritage and the National Trust, before taking a final decision on the Inspector's Report. The review will also consider the implications of delaying the Stonehenge scheme for the delivery of improvements proposed for other single carriageway sections of the A303 further to the west. We will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible.
Notes to editors
1. In July 1998, after extensive assessment of alternative options, the Government announced the inclusion in the Targeted Programme of Trunk Road Improvements of the A303 Stonehenge Improvement as an 'exceptional environmental scheme'. Following further studies and consultations, a Preferred Route was announced in June 1999 for improvements to 12.4 km of the A303 running from the Countess Roundabout in the east to Berwick Downs in the West. The scheme provided for dualling of the route and included a bypass of the village of Winterbourne Stoke and a 2km cut-and-cover tunnel past Stonehenge.
2. Following further consultations with English Heritage and the National Trust, a number of alternative tunnel options were evaluated and on 10 December 2002 the Government announced that it would proceed with work to evaluate a 2.1km tunnel (extending the tunnel by 100 metres compared with the Preferred Route announcement) and that the tunnel would be bored rather than cut-and-cover, thereby providing significant additional environmental benefits.
3. The Public Inquiry into this proposed scheme was held between 17 February and 11 May 2004. The Inspector's Report was received in January 2005 and the Government has been carefully considering it. The Inspector, having considered all the representations and submissions from objectors, is satisfied that the case for the scheme has been made and has recommended that the scheme orders should be made, subject to a number of minor modifications. In particular, he is satisfied with:
* the line of the published scheme;
* all the proposed slip and side road changes required to implement the scheme;
* the requirements of the traffic prohibition Orders restricting certain classes of traffic from using the tunnel and some of the new roads; and
* the acquisition of all the land and interests necessary to carry out the published scheme.
4. The Highways Agency's evidence to the Public Inquiry indicated that the construction cost of the scheme would be £192m. After allowing for additional factors including land, preparation and supervision costs this translates into a total outturn scheme cost of £284m, assuming a construction start date of spring 2005.
5. Following additional detailed work the Highways Agency's latest estimate of the outturn cost of the scheme has now risen to some £470m. For consistency with earlier estimates, this figure also assumes a construction start date of spring 2005. Slippage in the start date beyond spring 2005 will have further increased estimated costs in line with continuing inflation in construction costs.
Department of Transport news release 2005/0081: 20 July 2005
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