Stonehenge tunnel contracts worth £1.31bn signed

National Highways said the announcement "in no way pre-empts any decision"

Contracts worth £1.31bn to dig a tunnel near Stonehenge have been signed despite any decision to build it has still to be made.

National Highways has confirmed deals to construct a two-mile tunnel from Amesbury to Berwick Down in Wiltshire.

But the transport secretary is still deciding its fate after a judge overturned planning permission in 2021.

National Highways (NH) said the announcement "in no way pre-empts any decision" made on the scheme.

The overall cost of the scheme will be 1.7bn, but the contracts signed here were worth £1.31bn.

The scheme - which is backed by Wiltshire Council - aims to reduce traffic and cut journey times on the A303, the most direct route for motorists travelling between south-east and south-west England.

NH also says it would "enhance" the Unesco World Heritage Site - a claim disputed by campaigners.

Planning permission for the tunnel was overturned by a High Court judge

It was initially given the go-ahead by then-transport secretary Grant Shapps in November 2020, despite environmentalists and archaeologists voicing their opposition.

They later launched a judicial review, arguing the work would have a detrimental impact on the wider site.

And in June 2021, Mr Justice Holgate overturned Mr Shapps' decision to grant the development consent order saying it was "unlawful".

But in another development, it was announced last December that a decision on the tunnel would be re-examined by the justice secretary last December.

There are competing arguments over the effect the tunnel would have on the site

Derek Parody, the scheme's project director, said the signing of the contracts meant that if construction can proceed, "having these contractors in place puts us in the strongest possible position to deliver this transformational scheme and deliver the benefits we know it can".

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The contracts would only become live "once the Secretary of State has concluded the planning process", he added.

As part of the deal, a £1.25bn contract has been signed with MORE joint venture, which comprises FCC Construcción, WeBuild and BeMo Tunnelling.

They would undertake the construction of the proposed tunnel's civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and technology components.

To "ensure programme timescales are maintained", a £60m contract has been signed with Costain and Mott MacDonald, NH said.

These firms would provide technical and construction management expertise during the project - which is expected to take five years.