A31 road
A31 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() A31 Road at St. Leonards, Dorset, England | ||||
Route information | ||||
Length | 72.6 mi (116.8 km) | |||
Northeast segment | ||||
Length | 36.6 mi[1](58.9 km) | |||
Northeast end | ![]() | |||
Major intersections | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Southwest end | ![]() | |||
Southwest | ||||
Length | 36.0 mi[2](57.9 km) | |||
Northeast end | ![]() | |||
Major intersections | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Southwest end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United Kingdom | |||
Counties | Surrey,Hampshire,Dorset | |||
Primary destinations | Winchester Farnham Ringwood | |||
Road network | ||||
|
TheA31is a majortrunk roadin southernEnglandthat runs fromGuildfordinSurreytoBere RegisinDorset. Its most well known section is theHog's Back,a hilly ridge forming part of the North Downs, in the Surrey stretch between Guildford and Farnham.
Route description
[edit]The road begins in Guildford at the start of Farnham Road near Guildford Station, coming out of the town and passing over theA3where shortly after it becomes adual carriagewayrunning in a westerly direction along theHog's Backescarpment of theNorth DownsThis dual carriageway section has a speed limit of 60 mph. AtTonghamit leaves the older Hogs Back route to join with the A331 and follow a modern bypass roundFarnham,rejoining the older route at the roundabout junction with the A325 where it follows Alton Road towardAltonwhich it bypasses, rejoining the older route near Jane Austen's house, then continuing toAlresfordbeforejoining the route oftheM3 motorwayat its junction on the eastern boundary ofWinchester.
The old route to Winchester's centre thenRomseyand theNew Forestforms two roads: theB3404andA3090 roadsand is marked forcyclists.The west branch of theM27 motorway– M3 interchange has a flyover junction with the winding westbound A3090 on the western boundary ofCadnam,having passed through theconservation areavillage centre, from where the resumed A31 continues as a dualled trunk road through the rest of theNew Forest,pastRingwoodand entersDorsetjust before it passesFerndownwhere it resumes single carriageway width. It passesWimborne Minsterand by-passesCharborough Parkbefore terminating at aroundaboutjunction with theA35 roadatBere Regis.The A35 is not a trunk road east of Bere Regis, but is a continuation of the A31 trunk road to the west, thus theHighways Agencymaintain it.
The A31 is part of the ancient route from London to Winchester.
The A31 between Wimborne Minster and Bere Regis: most of its Dorset stretch is primarily a single-carriageway road, used by heavy goods vehicles, and as such is relatively slow for a trunk road during busy times of the day. However theRiver Stouris one of the most flood-prone rivers alongside in the region and a widened road would accelerate drainage and disrupt views of the valley fromAreas of Outstanding Beautyon theescarpmentsto the north.
A31 New Forest dual carriageway
[edit]Many sections of the A31 were upgraded to dual carriageway in the 1960s, except for the section of road running through theNew Forest.[3]
The upgrade of the A31 through the New Forest started in the early 1960s, following two decades of debate. The Government's intention was to create at least one high-speed route to the south coast, while the guardians of the forest, theVerderers,resisted any further development.[4][5]
The first section of the A31 to be dualled was the section that the M27 feeds into at Jct1; the westbound carriageway is the original two-way A-road while the eastbound side was laid down nearby. Further developments occurred from Ringwood toPicket Postnear the turn-off forBurley.From 1966 to 1972, the remaining sections were completed rapidly due to the construction of the M27 motorway up to Jct 1.[6]
The Highways Agency declares the New Forest A31 section as being 'an abnormal and heavy load route'.[7]The westbound route, particularly, suffers from poor horizontal and vertical alignment due to its original function as an old single carriageway. The Highways Agency's route management strategy (RMS) for the A31 has identified that the westbound carriageway needs realigning atCadnamwhere it undulates rapidly before negotiating a sharp right turn and passes an at-grade U-turn box, though there is no timetable for this at present. There is also a pinch point at Ringwood where the A31 interplexes with the A338; the section of road was widened to four lanes each way for the duration of the A338 interplex (following the upgrade of the Ashley Heath Junction to Bournemouth in the early 1990s) but a short section where westbound A338 traffic joins westbound A31 was left with 2 lanes, and previously the lack of capacity at this section caused safety problems and queues at peak times. Dorset County Council cited relieving this junction as a high priority in the Bournemouth LTP 2006–2011.[8]In December 2014 the Government announced a series of schemes as part of a £15bn investment in transport infrastructure that included widening the Westbound carriageway to 3 lanes.[9]Work to widen the westbound section to 3 lanes began in January 2022 in conjunction with a wider scheme improving safety, and replacing two bridges over the River Avon and Bickerley Millstream. The widening scheme was completed in November 2022.[10][11] A Highways Agency review in 2010 records that the collision rate between the A338 Ringwood junction and the Poulner Hill Interchange was 4.5 Personal Injury Collisions (PICs) per 100million vehicle kilometers, whilst the rate for the stretch between Poulner Hill and Picket Post is 11.7 PICs per 100million vehicle kilometers.
A31 between Bere Regis and Wimborne
[edit]This section of road is single carriageway for its entire length, a long section around Winterborne Zelston has a 40 mph speed limit, and occasionally has mobile speed cameras in place.
There are no good overtaking places on this stretch of road due to its narrow, twisty nature. There are three long straight sections of road alongCharborough Park,at the end of each straight there is blind bend. Due to the lack of alternative overtaking places traffic use this stretch of road to overtake, but due to the blind bends this sometimes results in head-on collisions between vehicles. The 6 ft wall that runs alongside the road has many holes, and repaired sections which have been hit by cars over the years.
The A31 crosses the A350 at a large roundabout. Due to the volume of traffic crossing this roundabout on both the A350 and A31, clear lane markings have been added to ease congestion.
Sections along the A31 have been widened or straightened and junctions enhanced, particularly as the population of the main towns inDorsethas expanded.
A3090 road
[edit]Location | Hampshire |
---|---|
Length | 19 mi (31 km) |
A section of the A31 between Winchester and Ower in Hampshire is now known as theA3090.
Prior to completion of the M3 past Winchester in 1995, the A3090 ran south west from theA33atKings Worthy(where the A33 diverted around the Winchester Bypass) to the centre of Winchester, before continuing along the historic route of the A31 from Winchester to Hursley. Here it ended at a junction with the A31, which at this time, having merged with the by-pass east of Winchester, re-emerged from the A33 atOtterbourneand ran to Hursley and on along the current route of the A3090.[12]
A short dual carriageway section starts from the A36 roundabout nearOwerand terminates just before the A27 multiplex south west ofRomsey.
B3404 road
[edit]A short stretch of the original A31 immediately to the east of Winchester is now by-passed and renumbered as theB3404.The old route commences at a roundabout at Morn Hill, and continues straight across the top ofMagdalen Hill Downbefore crossing over theM3 motorwayandA272 roadon an overbridge and then descending the steep street of Magdalen Hill into the centre of Winchester.[13]
Junction lists
[edit]North-east segment
[edit]County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | Guildford | 0.0 | 0.0 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | North-eastern terminus |
Guildford–Comptonboundary | 2.2 | 3.5 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Junction;north-east exit and south-west entrance | |
Wanborough | 3.6 | 5.8 | ![]() | Junction | |
Tongham–Farnhamboundary | 6.9– 7.5 | 11.1– 12.1 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Junction; southern terminus of A331 | |
Farnham | 8.8– 9.2 | 14.2– 14.8 | ![]() ![]() | North-eastern terminus of A325 concurrency | |
10.8 | 17.4 | ![]() | South-western terminus of A325 concurrency | ||
Hampshire | Alton–Chawtonboundary | 19.8– 20.2 | 31.9– 32.5 | ![]() | Junction;southern terminus of A339 |
Chawton | 20.8 | 33.5 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of A32 | |
Chilcomb | 34.4 | 55.4 | ![]() | No access from A31 north-east to A272 east; north-eastern terminus of A272 concurrency | |
Winchester | 35.7 | 57.5 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of A33 | |
36.3– 36.6 | 58.4– 58.9 | ![]() ![]() Bar End Road / Bull Drove –Winchestercity centre | Western terminus of eastern segment; no access to M3 north or from M3 south to A31; south-western terminus of A272 concurrency | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
South-west segment
[edit]County | Location | mi[2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hampshire | Netley Marsh | 0.0 | 0.0 | ![]() ![]() | North-eastern terminus |
Cadnam | 2.5 | 4.0 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of A336; northern terminus of A337 | |
Copythorne–Minsteadboundary | 2.9 | 4.7 | ![]() | Western terminus of A27; A27 junction 1 | |
Picket Post | 10.6– 11.0 | 17.1– 17.7 | Burley | Junction | |
Ringwood | 12.4– 12.8 | 20.0– 20.6 | Hightown,Poulner,Crow | Junction; Crow signed north-east only | |
13.4– 13.8 | 21.6– 22.2 | ![]() | North-eastern terminus of A338 concurrency | ||
Dorset | St Ives | 14.2– 14.5 | 22.9– 23.3 | B3081 –Verwood | Junction |
14.5– 15.1 | 23.3– 24.3 | ![]() | To B3073 signed eastbound only; junction; south-western terminus of A338 concurrency | ||
Ferndown–West Moorsboundary | 19.0 | 30.6 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | North-eastern terminus of A348 | |
19.6– 19.9 | 31.5– 32.0 | B3072 –West Moors,Verwood,Ferndown | Junction | ||
Broadstone | 24.5 | 39.4 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of A349 | |
Sturminster Marshall–Lytchett Matraversboundary | 28.8 | 46.3 | ![]() | Sturminster Marshall signed north-east only | |
Bere Regis | 36.0 | 57.9 | ![]() | South-western terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Guildford GU1 4UL, UK to Bar End Roundabout, Winchester SO23 8RA, UK".Google Maps.Alphabet Inc.Retrieved27 July2023.
- ^ab"Netley Marsh, United Kingdom to North St, Bere Regis, Wareham, UK".Google Maps.Alphabet Inc.Retrieved27 July2023.
- ^"ROAD A.31 IMPROVEMENTS".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).5 July 1966.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"A.31 Road".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).27 July 1960.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"NEW FOREST BILL [H.L.]".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).24 March 1964.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"Roads (South Hampshire)".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).12 July 1976.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"Highways Agency – Movement of Abnormal Indivisible Roads at Night"(PDF).Highways Agency. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 June 2011.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"Bournemouth Council LTP 2006-2011".Bournemouth Council. Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2009.Retrieved21 December2011.
- ^"Major roads investment in London and the south east".gov.uk.Retrieved2 December2014.
- ^"A31 Ringwood road widening".National Highways. 26 May 2020.Retrieved7 January2022.
- ^"National Highways A31 Ringwood road widening".National Highways. 26 May 2020.Retrieved7 December2022.
- ^1:50,000 Map Sheet 185 (Winchester),Ordnance Survey,1974
- ^Election Maps(Map).Ordnance Survey.Retrieved18 August2022.