WORK is due to start in September to supply electricity for Highways England’s controversial £1.7 billion A303 Amesbury-to-Berwick Down upgrade past Stonehenge.

To supply power for future construction and the proposed 2.1-mile long tunnel, a section of the A360, between the junction of The Avenue and Longbarrow junction on the A303, will be closed from the first week of September to December.

Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks will instal high-voltage and fibreoptic cabling along the route. This requires a full closure for safety reasons due to the narrow width of the road and minimal space along the verges.

Highways England said: “The work will be carried out seven days a week, with some overnight working, to ensure the installation is completed as quickly as possible – three months as opposed to more than a year employing single lane closures and traffic signals.

“During the closure, traffic will be diverted via the A345 and sections of the A303 and A36, and a comprehensive signage system is being developed to inform road users around Salisbury and as far away as Devizes and Shaftesbury to point traffic to alternate routes.”

Highways England is working closely with Wiltshire Council, and measures are being put in place to protect local roads and communities by bringing in weight restrictions on a number of roads, including through the Woodfords.

Provision will be made for emergency services access and access for local residents and businesses affected by the closures, and arrangements will be discussed shortly with residents alongside and close to the A360.

David Bullock, Highways England project manager for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said: “The road scheme will ultimately tackle the longstanding issue of rat-running and provide a real benefit to local communities, and we’ll be doing all we can to put in measures to lessen the impact of this work.

“We are working with our local authority partners, and we want to give as much notice as possible to residents, businesses and other interested parties, such as the Amesbury Area Board.

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

“We acknowledge too that a legal process is ongoing, but in terms of the construction timescales, we need to put plans in place for the work, and the plans in no way pre-empt the outcome of the Judicial Review process.”

The tunnel scheme is opposed by some archaeologists and environmentalists.

In the meantime, the company is holding a virtual public information event at 7pm on Tuesday, June 29.

Local residents and businesses will be able to submit questions and hear from the team in a live online question-and-answer session to find out more about the plans for the project, including works on the A360.

For any further queries, email info@a303stonehenge.co.uk