The jigsaw is coming together......

 This very important update has come in from 

The following news will have the ripple effect for local businesses who will benefit hugely.  

Provided the Transport Secretary gives the go a head, and when the project begins to progress, people coming into the area for work will require somewhere to eat, stay and relax, so hotels, pubs and restaurants are part of this, which means employment in our area is bound to increase.  Hair will need to be cut, this news is good for doctors, dentists and all number of other businesses will benefit.

School children have not been forgotten either because the intention is for seminars to take place providing future job opportunities for leaving age students, information and interaction for younger children expanding their knowledge on a huge number of subjects, including how the scheme will affect wild life and fauna on the World Heritage Site when the road is finally removed!  Local people will be given the chance to "get their hands dirty" and assist with certain archaeology digs around the area..... See my post of 19th February 2020 https://staga303.blogspot.com/2020/02/calling-all-budding-archaeologists.html 

And for those who may not have read the post in full, and think that local people will miss out on the construction side.... see this piece here: 

"The joint venture comprises internally renowned companies FCC Construcción, WeBuild and BeMo Tunnelling. 

They will be making best use of UK skills by using a range of local, regional and national suppliers and contractors to help them deliver the scheme, and will be supported with a design partnership made up of Atkins, Jacobs and the Spanish company, Sener."

On completion, people living locally to the present A303 will, in years to come, have the peace they expected when they came to live in villages such as Shrewton and Winterbourne Stoke but in recent times, has not been the case sadly.

Latest news on the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project

We really enjoyed meeting some of you at our pop up “chatty van” events in Wiltshire. Over 300 people came to visit us, and we hope to speak to many more of you at future pop events.

We are also pleased to have selected MORE joint venture as our Preferred Bidder for our £1.25 billion contract for the construction of the tunnel and roads for the A303 Stonehenge scheme. The announcement follows a 2 ½ year comprehensive procurement process with shortlisted tenderers developing their design solutions for the project.

The planning application for the transformational scheme is still pending re-determination by the Secretary of State for Transport, following the quashing of the decision to grant the Development Consent Order.

MORE JV have enlisted a world class consortium with Atkins, Jacobs and Spanish designer Sener acting as the design joint venture.

The Main Works Contract covers the construction of the proposed tunnel’s civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and technology components, including the tunnel boring machine, along with the approach roadworks and structures and the environmental components of the five-year construction phase.

Derek Parody, National Highways’ Project Director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said: “The contract will only become live once the Secretary of State has concluded the planning process.

“The announcement of a preferred bidder in no way pre-empts any decision, and once that is finalized, and should the Development Consent Order be granted, having a contractor in place will put us in the strongest possible position to deliver this transformational scheme and deliver the benefits we know it can.

“The scheme will not only unlock congestion along this vital A303 route, but also conserve and enhance the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site, and the joint venture will bring world class expertise to the construction of the tunnel and the roads.

“We’re pleased we have now identified our contractors, they are internationally renowned and they will also be making best use of considerable UK skills by using a range of local, regional and national suppliers and contractors to help them deliver the scheme.” 

To prepare for the construction phase, National Highways has been working closely with the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Business West, the Federation of Small Businesses, Salisbury and District Chamber of Commerce and Salisbury BID, and has also partnered nationally with the Supply Chain Sustainability School to provide free online training.

This helps smaller companies to up skill and places them in a better position to tender for work on larger infrastructure projects, such as the A303 Stonehenge upgrade.

The preliminary work will provide initial opportunities for local, regional and national companies within the first six months of construction starting.

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