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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Stonehenge tunnel plan finalised by government | Stonehenge tunnel plan finalised by government |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A controversial plan for a road tunnel past Stonehenge has been finalised by the government. | A controversial plan for a road tunnel past Stonehenge has been finalised by the government. |
| Campaigners claim the 1.8-mile (2.9 km) dual-carriageway tunnel will cause "irreparable damage" to the landscape. | Campaigners claim the 1.8-mile (2.9 km) dual-carriageway tunnel will cause "irreparable damage" to the landscape. |
| However, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the plan will "transform" the A303, "cutting congestion and improving journey times". | However, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the plan will "transform" the A303, "cutting congestion and improving journey times". |
| A public consultation to get the views of drivers and residents will run until 5 March. | A public consultation to get the views of drivers and residents will run until 5 March. |
| The busy A303 currently passes within a few hundred metres of the ancient monument. | The busy A303 currently passes within a few hundred metres of the ancient monument. |
| The tunnel forms part of a £2bn government scheme to upgrade all remaining sections of the road between the M3 and M5. | The tunnel forms part of a £2bn government scheme to upgrade all remaining sections of the road between the M3 and M5. |
| 'Time bomb' | 'Time bomb' |
| However, campaign group Stonehenge Alliance believes any tunnel shorter than 2.7-miles (4.3 km) would do "irreparable damage to the landscape". | However, campaign group Stonehenge Alliance believes any tunnel shorter than 2.7-miles (4.3 km) would do "irreparable damage to the landscape". |
| Chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, Andy Rhind-Tutt, described the tunnel plan as a "self-destructing time bomb" which would "do nothing" for traffic problems in the area. | Chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, Andy Rhind-Tutt, described the tunnel plan as a "self-destructing time bomb" which would "do nothing" for traffic problems in the area. |
| In 2015, a Stonehenge Alliance petition calling for a longer tunnel gained 17,500 signatures. | In 2015, a Stonehenge Alliance petition calling for a longer tunnel gained 17,500 signatures. |
| In a statement, the group said: "The Alliance does not advocate new road building at Stonehenge, but accepts the need to improve the tranquillity and appearance of the World Heritage Site and its setting. | In a statement, the group said: "The Alliance does not advocate new road building at Stonehenge, but accepts the need to improve the tranquillity and appearance of the World Heritage Site and its setting. |
| "If the government insists on widening the A303 by means of a tunnel, it must be sufficiently long to avoid any further damage to [Stonehenge] and its setting." | "If the government insists on widening the A303 by means of a tunnel, it must be sufficiently long to avoid any further damage to [Stonehenge] and its setting." |
| English Heritage and the National Trust have also given their support to the option of "the longest tunnel possible". | English Heritage and the National Trust have also given their support to the option of "the longest tunnel possible". |
| Highways England's Jim O'Sullivan said: "Our plans for the A303 recognise the national importance of the route and these improvements will bring real benefit to the region and local communities. | Highways England's Jim O'Sullivan said: "Our plans for the A303 recognise the national importance of the route and these improvements will bring real benefit to the region and local communities. |
| "The public exhibitions will provide an excellent opportunity to explain further our plans and to hear feedback from stakeholders." | "The public exhibitions will provide an excellent opportunity to explain further our plans and to hear feedback from stakeholders." |
| However, a report by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites has recognised the benefits of the project. | |
| Tunnel history | |
| Plans for a tunnel past the Stonehenge site have had a long and chequered history. | |
| Proposals for a bored tunnel were first mooted in 1995 but the government insisted on a "cut and covered" tunnel, which was unveiled in 1999. | |
| The plans for the 2.5-mile (4 km) tunnel was criticised by the National Trust and other groups who were concerned about possible damage to the site. | |
| In 2002, revised plans for a bored tunnel of 1.3 miles (2.1 km) were proposed as part of a wider scheme to upgrade the A303 to dual carriageway status | |
| Following a public inquiry, the tunnel scheme was withdrawn in 2005 by the Labour government, partly due to rising costs of construction, which had doubled to £470m. It was shelved for good in 2007. | |
| The idea resurfaced in 2014 when the Conservative MP for Salisbury, John Glen, said any attempt to make the A303 in to a dual carriageway must include protection for the World Heritage site. | |
| In December of that year the coalition government gave its support to the plan for a 1.8-mile tunnel near the monument. | |
| Stonehenge is one of the Europe's most recognisable prehistoric monuments. | Stonehenge is one of the Europe's most recognisable prehistoric monuments. |
| The history of the Wiltshire site dates back 4,500 years and it is the only surviving lintelled stone circle in the world. | The history of the Wiltshire site dates back 4,500 years and it is the only surviving lintelled stone circle in the world. |