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Apart from quite a good article in today’s Telegraph, outlining some of the concepts behind the new Stonehenge visitor centre (due to open in December 2013) this, in the last paragraph, is encouraging -

"English Heritage is continuing to push for the A303 to go into a tunnel eventually. But for the time being the road has been resurfaced with a noise-reduction coating in the hope that the sound of constant traffic might be less intrusive when the visitor is contemplating the stones and asking the big questions of how and why they were put here in the first place."

Of course we’ve heard it all before but is this a sign that Stonehenge will one day get the (isolated) ambiance it so richly deserves - here’s hoping. Meanwhile, the noise-reduction coating to the A303 is good news as that (the traffic noise) really was a distraction to anyone who just wanted to sit on the grass and contemplate the monument.

Littlestone wrote:
Of course we’ve heard it all before but is this a sign that Stonehenge will one day get the (isolated) ambiance it so richly deserves - here’s hoping. Meanwhile, the noise-reduction coating to the A303 is good news as that (the traffic noise) really was a distraction to anyone who just wanted to sit on the grass and contemplate the monument.
Hi Littlestone.

Just thought I'd say that although I sympathise with that point of view, it isn't a distraction for me - well, not compared with the huge cost and impact of such a tunnel. We live in the modern world too and the closure of the road adjacent is such an improvement that I think it enough. I quite like the contrast between the two for many sites actually!

very best

N

If you Google 'A303 Highway to the Sun Youtube', there is a 60 minute BBC4 programme on the A303 which is excellent.