It's stood for five-thousand years but the modern world around Stonehenge is now imposing change. The main roads leading to the British site are clogged daily with thousands of commuters and tourists
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s stood for five-thousand years but the modern world around Stonehenge is now imposing change.
The main roads leading to the British site are clogged daily with thousands of commuters and tourists – to the frustration of local residents.
The government has promised the equivalent of more than two billion euros to build an almost 3 km-long tunnel underneath the ancient landmark.
But critics such at Kate Fielden of the Stonehenge Alliance fear that could be disastrous:
“The deep cuttings, the lights, the gantries, the signage – all those things that go with a busy expressway, four-lane highway, will damage the integrity, by the sight and sound of it, of a number of really important monuments in this landscape.”
Damage caused by the tunnel could also rob Stonehenge of its UNESCO World Heritage Status – reserved for the world’s most historically valuable sites.
Campaigners say any tunnel must be long enough to avoid Stonehenge and its setting altogether.
But they might be out of time. The shorter tunnel may finally get approval on Tuesday (September 12) when an announcement is due from the British government.