May 21 2007
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander today saw for himself the first stages of work on a £371m road scheme which will benefit drivers, nature lovers, cyclists and local residents alike.
The scheme will remove a notorious traffic bottleneck on the A3 between London and Portsmouth and help to restore peace and tranquillity to a famous local beauty spot- the Devil's Punch Bowl. It will also ease congestion in the nearby town of Hindhead and includes about 7km of track cycle track and several underpasses to allow safe and easy crossing of the new road.
Whereas the existing road blights the Devil's Punch Bowl, an area of outstanding natural beauty, the new road will be hidden from sight in a twin-bore tunnel -the longest tunnel under land in the UK- deep beneath the protected landscape. The scheme will create a better habitat for local wildlife, benefiting rare and protected species such as the Nightjar and the Wood lark; while special care is being taken to protect other rare species during the work.
Douglas Alexander said:
"This is a beautiful area, but the existing A3 has for years blighted the landscape. The Government's investment in this scheme will not only protect and restore this beautiful landscape, but also cut congestion in Hindhead and improve journeys on the vital Portsmouth to London route.
"It's good to hear that the local councils, environmental groups and the National Trust, are all united in their vision to make the most of this scheme once the new road has removed the blight of 30,000 vehicles a day removed from this area."
The area around Hindhead is environmentally sensitive as it lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. During his visit the Transport Secretary heard about the successful work of the "Hindhead Together" partnership, which sees the National Trust, the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership, Natural England, the South East England Development Agency, Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council and Haslemere Town Council, working together with the Highways Agency to optimise the community, economic, ecological and landscape benefits of the A3 tunnel scheme.