British government approves controversial road tunnel project near Stonehenge

The British government has giventhe green light to acontroversial road tunnel project near the prehistoric Stonehenge site.

The$2.2billiontunnel projectincludes a new dual carriageway with a two-miletunnelbesideStonehenge andaimsat hiding a nearby mainroadthat has long blighted the mysterious prehistoric circle of stones in southern England.

England's highways agency believestheroadbesideStonehengeis a congestion hotspot with traffic flow double what it was designed for, and that thetunnelamounts to the biggest investment in Englishroads for a generation.

However, as per a report,the decision was taken by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and it conflicts with the suggestions of the Planning Inspectorate, which had cautioned about the "lasting" and "irreversible" hurt which can emerge from the task.

According to the Department for Transport, Shapps was supposed to be "fulfilled that on balance the need case for the improvement along with different advantages distinguished exceed any damage."

Stonehenge, one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments, includes a 5,000-year-old ditch and a Neolithic stone circle with early Bronze Age burial mounds nearby. It is a World Heritage Site.

Some archaeologists and local residents oppose theproject.They say thetunnelis too short and will damage the archaeological surroundings ofStonehenge. They have called for a deep-boredtunnelat least 4.5 km (3 miles) long.

TheStonehengeAlliance, which opposes theproject, said it deeply regretted Shapps' decision and would discuss its options. There is now a six-week period in which the decisions may be challenged in the High Court, Highways England said.