Stonehenge traffic queues are a sad fact of life for anyone who has to drive on that section of the A303 and are hard to avoid. I know many that were looking forward to the tunnel being built. Sadly, the Stonehenge tunnel has scrapped.
The traffic flows quite happily all the way from the M3 (near Basingstoke) and around Andover. Heading towards Amesbury, things tend to slow down a bit at peak periods and bank holidays.
As you drive past the Countess Roundabout, you just know what’s going to happen. All of a sudden, the two lanes of traffic that had been flowing quite well, move down to a single lane. I suppose a view of Stonehenge might be some compensation because you’ll be seeing it for quite some time.
There are some who suggest that motorists slow down to get a good look at the Stones, there’s even a suggestion that some even take photos. Others will point out that it’s simply a case of trying to fit 2 lanes of traffic into one lane. Please don’t slow down for photos.
Whichever way you look at it, you’re now stuck in slow moving traffic until at least the Longbarrow Roundabout (A360 junction).
This roundabout is also a problem for drivers coming south down the A60, either from Shrewton or the Stonehenge Visitor centre. Drivers on the A303, heading towards Amesbury just don’t want to leave a gap. They get very possessive about their place in the queue..
As you continue your journey, you’ll drive through Winterbourne Stoke. I know they many of the residents were in favour of the tunnel. A bypass around Winterbourne Stoke was also due to have been built.
Click here for live A303 traffic information from the AA Roadwatch.
Stonehenge Traffic Queues : Tunnel Scrapped
The A360 beween Wilton and Longbarrow Roundabout was closed recently. It was to allow electricity and telecoms cables to be laid for the Stonehenge Tunnel. The road re-opened in early July, 2024.
Not long after this, the new Labour government announced that the tunnel was to be scrapped. Here is an article about the tunnel that I discovered on Wikipedia.
Stonehenge Tunnel Plans
Before the cancellation, road planners had been looking at resolving the traffic problems. They had planned to improve the road between Amesbury and Berwick Down with a tunnel and a new dual carriageway.
I had a leaflet through my door from National Highways with information and a map. This is no longer available online.
The map showed the new dual carriageway from the Countess roundabout at Amesbury and its route to the Eastern tunnel entrance, followed by the route to the Western entrance and onto the surface before it reached the A360.
A new Longbarrow Junction would then link back to the A360 heading South to Salisbury and North towards the Stonehenge visitor centre and Shrewton. The dual carriageway would then go across the proposed River Till viaduct to the north of the existing route and bypass Winterbourne Stoke.
More information can be found on the Stonehenge Traffic Action Group blog.
Sadly this will no longer happen.
Stonehenge Rat Running
Rat running is a huge problem in the area, especially in Shrewton. Drivers will follow their sat-navs and cause traffic chaos in this beautiful village. It’s dangerous so please avoid driving through Shrewton. I would imagine that driving through Larkhill is another problem.
So there you have it, the Stonehenge Tunnel has been scrapped. Will it ever happen under a different government? Who knows. For now, the Stonehenge traffic queues will continue.