RESIDENTS of Wiltshire can peek behind the scenes of Stonehenge’s new visitors centre next month.

The main contractor for the development, VINCI Construction UK, will host an Open Doors Weekend on September 27 and 28, for people to learn about the project.

The centre is a £27million project led by English Heritage, which aims to achieve the vision set out in the Stonehenge World Heritage Management Plan to restore the dignity of Stonehenge.

The new building is at Airman’s Corner, 11/2 miles from the stone circle, and will include exhibition, education and cafe space.

Low-impact vehicles, carrying up to 900 visitors an hour, will operate a 10-minute shuttle service from the visitor building to the stones.

The centre is due to open in late 2013, when the current facilities will be dismantled and the landscape around the stone circle restored.

The Open Weekend is a nationwide initiative, which invites members of the public to go around a construction site in their area.

It aims to demonstrate the range of career opportunities construction has to offer and the wide variety of skills that come together to make buildings and infrastructure.

Stephen Ratcliffe, director of UK Construction Group, one of the partners in the Open Doors project, said: “It is a unique opportunity for the industry to display the complexity, excitement and scope of modern construction projects.”

Booking is recommended, via www.opendoorsweekend.co.uk