London: Britain has given the green light to a $3 billion tunnel under Stonehenge aimed at hiding a nearby main road that has long blighted the mysterious prehistoric circle of stones in southern England.
Stonehenge, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments, includes a 5000-year-old ditch and a Neolithic stone circle with early Bronze Age burial mounds nearby. It is a World Heritage Site.
Traffic builds up on the main road near Stonehenge, which can be seen in the background.Credit:PA
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday granted development consent for the £1.7 billion ($3 billion) project, which includes a new dual carriageway with a 3.2-kilometre tunnel beside Stonehenge.
“The Secretary of State agrees the benefits of the development would include enabling visitors to Stonehenge to see the stone circle without the visual and aural distraction of road traffic,” Shapps said in a letter approving the project.
