PLANS for a 2.9km tunnel under the Stonehenge world heritage site will scrutinised by experts today when they visit the monument.

The government unveiled the proposal last year as part of a £2billion project to dual the A303 from Amesbury to Honiton, Devon.

Heritage officials from Unesco and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) were invited to visit the site by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. They will meet with stakeholders including English Heritage and Wiltshire Council.

Ian Wilson from the National Trust said: "They will be spending several days here getting to know the landscape and the outline proposals.

"At the top of our list is agreeing how we can best work together to ensure that any scheme to tackle the blight of the road that dominates the Stonehenge Landscape is located in the right place and designed and built to the specification befitting a world heritage site."

It is expected further trips will be made to Stonehenge as the plans become finalised.

Kate Davies, general manager of Stonehenge, said: "We're looking forward to showing the advisors the recent improvements to Stonehenge, especially the removal of the old visitor centre and the grassing over of the A344, and highlighting how removing the A303 from the landscape would improve people's understanding and enjoyment of the ancient stones and their setting."