A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to tunnel under Hindhead's Devil's Punch Bowl has finally been given the green-light after over two decades of indecision. The plans, which should be completed in time for the 2012 London Olympics, will see two tunnels bore through the picturesque countryside on the A3. The tunnels will start in Tyndalls Wood, National Trust land near Grayshott, and will emerge at Boundless Valley, and highways chiefs believe they should significantly cut traffic volumes at the busy Hindhead crossroads. They will replace the single carriageway which currently runs round the Devil's Punch Bowl – returning 1,000 acres of heath land to the National Trust – and from part of an A3 revamp between Portsmouth and Guildford. Plans for some sort of bypass have been in the pipeline for more than 20 years, with various routes and options suggested in that time. Campaign groups have sprung up to battle against the closure of the existing road, while the National Trust has argued that it is in nature's interest to return the land to them. But last Friday's announcement by Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman has ended the speculation and will see work on the £371m scheme start next year. Mr Ladyman said: "This is a scheme that has something for everyone. "It will remove the daily congestion and journey unreliability caused by unacceptable bottlenecks. "Air pollution and traffic queues in Hindhead will be significantly reduced and the removal of the old A3 will provide a unique opportunity for environmental regeneration and recreational opportunities." Highways Agency project sponsor Paul Arnold added: "This scheme has taken up 20 years of my life – and for the people living around the junction it will have taken up more – so I am delighted it has finally been given the go-ahead." As well as linking the Devil's Punch Bowl with Hindhead Common, the scheme will also include underpasses for horse riders, cyclists and walkers to cross the dual-carriageway or visit Tyndalls Wood, and there will be an extra five miles of cycle tracks in the area. Clearance work will start next year and construction should begin by 2008. Road bosses are hopeful that the work can be finished by 2011, well in time for the Olympics. Reaction to the plans has been mixed.
