A360 section closure in Wiltshire for three months from April

Plans to construct a tunnel near Stonehenge have been approved by the Department for Transport

Essential work to supply electricity for a planned upgrade of the A303 near Stonehenge is to start this week.

A section of the A360 in Wiltshire will be closed on 2 April for three months.

It is part of National Highways' planned A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down upgrade past Stonehenge.

During the temporary closure, traffic will be diverted via the A345 and sections of the A303 and A36, as per the diagram below.

Drivers advised to plan ahead for temporary A360 closure in Wiltshire.

This is to facilitate power supply for future construction and the tunnel in the long-term.

On behalf of National Highways, SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks) will be installing high voltage and fibre optic cabling along the route, south of the A303.

'Ratrunning'

This requires a full closure for safety reasons due to the narrow width of the road and minimal space along the verges.

National Highways' project manager Andrew Clark said: "The road scheme will ultimately tackle the longstanding issue of rat running and provide a real benefit to local communities.

"Without the full closure, the work would take a lot longer to complete, and working with Wiltshire Council, we're making every effort to ensure that the impact on drivers and local communities is kept to an absolute minimum."

To enable the underground cabling to be completed before the school summer holidays and ahead of increased traffic volumes, the work will be carried out seven days a week, with some overnight working.

A comprehensive signage system, including diversion routes, is in place to inform road users around Salisbury and as far away as Devizes and Shaftesbury to point traffic to alternate routes.

In the meantime, National Highways is advising drivers to plan ahead and allow a little extra time for their journeys during the programme of work.