Specialist transport to Sussex news
25/08/2011
Hindhead heralds new era
It has finally happened – after years of waiting and thousands upon thousands of extra driving hours, the Hindhead Tunnel has opened, making it much quicker for specialist transport from London to reach many areas of Sussex.
Already, the £371 million tunnel is proving its worth, having cut journey times by as much as 30 minutes for many, including the specialist transport that headed to Sussex for the Glorious Goodwood race meeting at the end of July.
According to transport secretary Philip Hammond, haulage to Sussex and Hampshire will no longer have to put up with the Hindhead crossroads "hampering the flow of goods and services."
And the great news is that as well as saving journey time, the tunnel will have soon paid for itself. "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," said Hammond.
"This cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectations in almost every way, and sets a new standard for how vital infrastructure improvements can be delivered in a way that not only protects, but actually enhances the surrounding environment," he added.
The Southbound and Northbound tunnels are each a mile-and-a-quarter long and, now the ribbon has been cut, should be serving improved specialist transport to Sussex and Hampshire for many years to come.
