PLANS for a long-debated road tunnel beneath Stonehenge have been officially scrapped, bringing an end to a project that has divided opinion for decades.

The Department for Transport has revoked the development consent order (DCO) for the scheme – which included a tunnel, two junctions and a bypass near Amesbury – citing “exceptional circumstances”.

The decision means any future plans would have to start again from scratch.

First proposed in 1994, the tunnel aimed to ease congestion along the A303, a key route to the South West that passes close to the historic site.

Supporters argued it would improve traffic flow and remove vehicles from the landscape, while critics warned it risked damaging the setting of the world-famous prehistoric monument.

Although the project was approved in 2023, it was put on hold last year as estimated costs rose to £1.4 billion.

Around £179 million has already been spent on planning and development.

The decision has prompted strong reactions from MPs, particularly over the ongoing impact of traffic in nearby communities.

East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger

East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger said: “It’s scandalous that the government has finally cancelled any hope of the Stonehenge tunnel without putting in place a single step to relieve the traffic caused by rat running through the villages along the A303.

“Road improvements have been delayed for years because we were told ‘the tunnel is coming’. Now it’s not – and the villages are left with nothing.

“The government says the cancellation will allow ‘alternative infrastructure or development proposals to come forward that better reflect current needs’ – well, what proposals? How funded?

“Rachel Reeves saved £3 billion by scrapping the tunnel – she should allocate a fraction of that to make up for the decades of underinvestment in Wiltshire’s roads while we waited for the tunnel.

“It’s worth noting that the Transport Secretary who has made this decision is Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon South and my neighbour to the north – she must be aware that congestion on the A303 drives traffic onto the M4, making life worse for people in both our constituencies.

“So at the top and bottom of East Wiltshire, on both the main arterial routes across southern England, we are condemned to years more traffic, gridlock, pollution, and economic damage.”

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes.

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes added: “Today, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed the revocation of the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down Development Consent Order, bringing the Stonehenge Tunnel project to an end.

“I know that will be disappointing for some of my constituents living near the A303, who had wanted a solution to the congestion in the Stonehenge area.

“I don’t know if it will come back in due course, I suspect it may have to, but we will have to wait and see.

“Certainly, the A303 remains the gateway to the West Country, and an important strategic route going past the world’s most famous prehistoric monument is not an ideal combination.”

With no alternative plan yet announced, questions remain over how traffic issues around Stonehenge will now be tackled.