WALKERS seeking to burn off the excesses of Christmas are encouraged to visit the new viewing platform at the Devil's Punchbowl to see how work is progressing on the A3 tunnel scheme. A footpath opposite the National Trust cafe leads downhill to the platform at the site of the northern entrance to the tunnel, where massive digging machines will start work in February. Spring will see the completion of a new accessible tarmac path, which follows the line of the original A3, until which, visitors are advised the path is steep and can be slippery. The public can also learn about the £380 million scheme through a visitor centre sited off the A3 at Thursley. Work on the twin-bore tunnels, which will be about 65 metres below ground at Gibbet Hill, will involve machines bigger than those used on the Channel Tunnel and will be mainly through soft sandstone. As the 12 metre arms tear off the rock face, concrete is first sprayed and the tunnels then lined with special stone with a Ph balance compatible with the surrounding soil. Poal Christensen, Hindhead Together Partnership chairman and deputy chairman of Natural England, said: "This is a huge project and the government is really putting money into ensuring that the environmental concerns are addressed, restoring and protecting the site." All materials excavated from the tunnels will be used in landscaping, with some used to reinstate the area of the existing A3 at the Punch Bowl back to nature, after the new four mile long road opens in 2011. The Hindhead Together Partnership will be running workshops in the new year to ensure local views are taken into account in developing a 'Concept Statement' for the Hindhead area, after the road opens. Core members are Natural England, the National Trust, SEEDA, the Highways Agency, Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council and Haslemere Town Council.
