Wiltshire MP describes A303 upgrade plans as 'a bit of a mess'
Andrew Murrison's concerned improvements are 'several years away at best'
Last updated 11th Jan 2022
The long-running saga of whether the A303 through Wiltshire will see improvement works show no signs of going away, with one local MP now raising his worries that there's a further setback.
Dr Andrew Murrison, who represents South West Wiltshire, has been campaigning for many years to see the stretch between Chicklade and Mere made into a dual carriageway.
He says that would 'particularly give relief to constituents in the village of Chicklade'.
SETBACK
National Highways say, in a letter to Dr Murrison MP, that the Chicklade to Mere project is part of a Government plan called 'Road Investment Strategy 3 Pipeline'.
However, the only section of that which is being taken forward into 'initial development' is around the A350/A358 junctions with the A303 in Somerset.
That would mean the Chicklade to Mere stretch won't see any changes before at least 2030.
Dr Murrison MP has said that response to 'long grass' the plans fills him with 'horror':
"It's now clear that any improvement locally will be several years away at best. Meanwhile, National Highways' Stonehenge bypass plans appear to have been scuppered by the High Court.
"It's all looking like a bit of a mess. I will be writing to the Transport Secretary to point out his department and agency can't shunt more and more traffic down a spindly single carriageway whilst pretending it's a strategic route.
"There is an alternative if you're not going to invest in the A303 which is to confirm the M4/M5 as the strategic route into the South West and push traffic, especially the heavy stuff, along the motorway network."
Last year the transport secretary's decision to approve the Stonehenge tunnel scheme was quashed by the High Court after a judge ruled it was 'unlawful'.
Grant Shapps is currently in the process of “re-determining” his decision on National Highways’ planning application.