The British government approved Friday the construction of a tunnel near the prehistoric site of Stonehenge, in the south-west of England, controversial project which had been suspended because judged illegal by justice two years ago.
Transport Minister Mark Harper gave his approval for the project.
A previous permit had been rescinded due to the environmental impact of the road project, which cost £1.7 billion, or more than two billion Canadian dollars, on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. .
Supposed to decongest an important east-west road axis, the approximately three kilometer long tunnel is strongly criticized by several associations, united in the Stonehnege Alliance group.
At the end of July 2021, justice had declared the project illegal, because the Minister of Transport at the time, Grant Shapps, had not considered an alternative solution, although he was obliged to do so by the status of the classified site.
The government had given the green light to the project in the fall of 2020, despite the opposition of a panel of urban planning experts warning it that it risked causing “permanent and irreversible damage” to the archaeological site.
Unesco had warned that the prehistoric site, classified as a World Heritage Site since 1986, would be added to its list of “endangered” sites if the project were implemented, thus risking ultimately losing its status as a World Heritage Site.
Built in stages between approximately 3000 and 2300 BC, Stonehenge is one of the most significant prehistoric megalithic monuments in the world for its size, sophisticated plan and architectural precision.
Its standing stones forming a set of mysterious circles attract thousands of people each year for the pagan festivals of the solstice.
In the 64-page document authorizing the project, the Minister of Transport, Mark Harper, considers that its impact on the landscape is reduced and must be weighed against the benefit for the public.
The main road that will use the tunnel, the A303, is congested during holiday departures to and from the South and West.
“This saga is beginning to seem as old as the stones themselves and it is not over,” reacted Steve Gooding, director of the association of motorists RAC Foundation, anticipating new appeals.
Dozens of projects have succeeded since 1991 to improve traffic flow in the area, he recalled.