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Campaigners have lost a second High Court challenge against plans to build a 拢1.7bn road tunnel near Stonehenge.

Justice Holgate yesterday described most parts of a case bought by Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) as 鈥渦narguable鈥� in the latest hearing of a long-running saga over the controversial scheme.

The 3.2km tunnel between Amesbury and Berwick Down aims to reduce traffic and journey times on the A303 road but passes close to the 5,000-year-old monument, a Unesco world heritage site.

It was first approved by the government in 2020 but quashed by the High Court the following year after a campaign by locals.

Transport secretary Mark Harper then reapproved the plans last July despite admitting the scheme would cause 鈥渉arm鈥� to the world heritage site.

SSWHS bought its second bid to the High Court in December, arguing it would 鈥渄estroy鈥� around seven hectares of the area surrounding Stonehenge and mark the 鈥渇irst step鈥� towards being delisted by Unesco.

In a 50-page ruling, Justice Holgate said ministers had 鈥渞ightly focused on the relevant policies鈥� and that the campaigners鈥� evidence 鈥減rovides no basis for undermining that conclusion鈥�.

Three European contractors have been chosen to build the tunnel under a joint venture called MORE, comprised of Spanish firm FCC, Italy鈥檚 WeBuild and BeMo Tunnelling from Austria.

The international consortium beat competition from two other shortlisted joint ventures 鈥� HDJV, comprising Hochtief Infrastructure GmbH and Dragados SA, and MJV, which was composed of Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and J Murphy & Sons 鈥� in May 2022.

Mace has also won a cost consultancy role on the tunnel, and a joint venture between Costain and Mott MacDonald has been awarded a 拢60m job as delivery assurance partner on the scheme.

A Costain team featuring Balfour Beatty was down to build the new road more than 15 years ago but the pair鈥檚 contract was terminated in December 2007 when those proposals were withdrawn by the then Labour government.