Breakthrough for UK’s longest land road tunnel
Construction of the UK’s longest road tunnel under land, near Hindhead in Surrey, is a step closer to completion today after the tunnel excavations from the north and south met deep under the Surrey Hills.
The breakthrough to link the two tunnels is a major milestone for the £371 million project and was witnessed by Transport Minister Paul Clark. When complete, the A3 road tunnel will reduce traffic at a notorious bottleneck and restore peace and tranquillity in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Approximately 30,000 vehicles a day will be taken away from the Surrey Hills – instead travelling deep beneath this protected landscape. The innovative and popular scheme will also take traffic away from Hindhead village – and complete the A3 dual carriageway link between Portsmouth and London.
Paul Clark said:
“Today’s breakthrough is a major step forward for this important Highways Agency scheme. It will bring faster and safer journeys on the only trunk road between Portsmouth and London – as well as freeing the centre of Hindhead from the daily gridlock that blights the area.
“This will deliver real benefits to local people, whether they are drivers, horse riders, cyclists or pedestrians, whilst creating a better habitat for local wildlife and preserving the beauty of the landscape.”
Once the tunnel is open, it will enable the Highways Agency to remove all traces of the existing road from the Devil’s Punch Bowl, which is part of the. Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
By removing traffic and the associated noise and harmful emissions, the scheme will create a better habitat for local wildlife, benefiting rare and protected species such as the nightjar and the woodlark; with special care taken to protect other rare species during the work.
It will also improve the amenities available to local communities – with several underpasses being created to allow horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians to cross the A3 in safety. A 9km cycle route will also be created.
The next step for the scheme is complete the tunnel and approach roads. The scheme is due to open to traffic in Summer 2011.
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