Skip to main content

UK tunnel officially opened

UK transport secretary Philip Hammond yesterday cut the ribbon at the Hindhead twin bore tunnel in Surrey, signifying the end of a US$605 million, 1.8 km-long bypass of Hindhead village on the A3 between London and Portsmouth. The new tunnels will be used by 30,000 vehicles/day.
April 20, 2012 Read time: 1 min
UK transport secretary Philip Hammond yesterday cut the ribbon at the Hindhead twin bore tunnel in Surrey, signifying the end of a US$605 million, 1.8 km-long bypass of Hindhead village on the A3 between London and Portsmouth. The new tunnels will be used by 30,000 vehicles/day.

‘This new road will transform journeys on the A3 – improving journey times by around 20 minutes or more at busy periods – and will deliver a threefold return on investment for the economy,” Hammond said. “This cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectation in almost every way, and sets a new standard for how vital infrastructure improvements can be delivered,” he added.

Hammond pointed out that the tunnel contains state-of-the-art safety features, including the UK’s first radar-based incident detection system and 100% CCTV coverage.

Another safety feature was the inclusion of Astucia hardwired bi-directional LED road studs to guide motorists safely through the tunnel. A total of 868 of the studs emit a full 180 degrees of illumination when switched from uni-directional to bi-directional delineation should one of the tunnels be switched to contra flow mode.

Related Content

  • VW scandal prompts emissions testing debate
    December 1, 2015
    In the wake of the VW scandal John Kendall looks at emissions testing on both sides of the Atlantic. Since the VW emissions story broke in September, emissions testing has come under greater scrutiny, and none more so than in Europe, where critics have long been highlighting the weaknesses of the testing system. Ironically, changes to the emissions testing process were already under review but the story has pushed it up the agenda.
  • UK plans changes to AV Code
    April 20, 2022
    Drivers can view content 'not related to driving' - but mobile phone use still illegal
  • New York's congestion charging scheme is finally underway
    January 6, 2025
    First US city to introduce such a scheme: drivers now pay $9 per day
  • UK Spending Review ‘increases capital investment in transport by 50%’
    November 26, 2015
    UK Chancellor George Osborne announced major investments in transport in the government’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement, despite a 37 per cent cut in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) operational budget. This was offset with a planned 50% per cent increase in capital expenditure for the DfT - rising to a total of US$92 billion. In addition to protecting overall police spending in line with inflation, an increase of US$1.3 billion by 2019-20, the review includes US$70 billion capital investment