Dual carridge way proposal for the A303

[Smeble]

The work next to the A303 is to do with the tunnel, there's a story about it on the BBC news site, apparently it's geological and archaeological survey work.

[Pinhead]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/08/stonehenge-tunnel-heritage-groups-warn-over-ancient-barrow

[Smeble]

All the trenches were filled in as of Monday last week, just a small core sample drill on site now

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Talking about the A303, will the traffic be any more mental around Stone Henge, given the fact that Wednesday 21 June is summer solstice? Best avoided?

[eFestivals]

27 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

Talking about the A303, will the traffic be any more mental around Stone Henge, given the fact that Wednesday 21 June is summer solstice? Best avoided?

yeah - probably a good idea to give it a wide berth. There can be stupid amounts of traffic for the solstice.

[HoTWire]

I recommend people avoid using the A303 at all times... particularly around Stonehenge.  Everyone that wants to use that road should use alternative routes, also never Ever EVER slow down to have a look at the stones.  Maybe one day I won't get held up there when I'm trying to get somewhere if everyone else just follows those simple rules, 1) don't use the A303, 2) never, ever slow down, for anything.  Thanks.

[eFestivals]

21 minutes ago, HoTWire said:

I recommend people avoid using the A303 at all times... particularly around Stonehenge.  Everyone that wants to use that road should use alternative routes, also never Ever EVER slow down to have a look at the stones.  Maybe one day I won't get held up there when I'm trying to get somewhere if everyone else just follows those simple rules, 1) don't use the A303, 2) never, ever slow down, for anything.  Thanks.

as someone who used to live in Devon and was zipping up and down that road almost weekly, I discovered that it's great if you do it between the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Otherwise it's shit.

[HoTWire]

4 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

as someone who used to live in Devon and was zipping up and down that road almost weekly, I discovered that it's great if you do it between the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Otherwise it's shit.

Yeah, I've taken to coming home in the evenings if I'm visiting friends in London, rather than stay overnight somewhere.  Is a horrible road in the dark and rain though :/

Oh well, price I pay for living in our delightful countryside

[Smeble]

I travel up and down the a303 3 or 4 times a week and it's getting worse, not just past Stonehenge, people are commuting further and further nowadays, the mass exodus from Basingstoke west is just silly.

at this time of the year it's dark by the time I get to Stonehenge so nowbody can see the stones and the traffic flows ok, even at 5 or 6 pm.

once the days get longer and it's light later it's a nightmare, I come off at countess roundabout and go down through larkhill to avoid the queue, although I'm not convinced it's much quicker, but at least I'm moving and not stuck behind idiots who think it's ok to stop and take photos.

[guypjfreak]

Let's just move the stones... 

[Bisque]

Just had a beer with my Dad (mom had an operation earlier today). Tunnel is going ahead along with improvements to the roads. He'd forgotten what villages where the tunnel entrances will be but one is "by a roundabout".

[Bisque]

Amesbury & Berwick Down.

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, guypjfreak said:

Let's just move the stones... 

Mick is old but I'm sure he just about moves .... oops wrong thread !!

[guypjfreak]

1 hour ago, crazyfool1 said:

Mick is old but I'm sure he just about moves .... oops wrong thread !!

Lol you crazy fool you 

[BeddyDriver]

11 hours ago, Smeble said:

I travel up and down the a303 3 or 4 times a week and it's getting worse, not just past Stonehenge, people are commuting further and further nowadays, the mass exodus from Basingstoke west is just silly.

at this time of the year it's dark by the time I get to Stonehenge so nowbody can see the stones and the traffic flows ok, even at 5 or 6 pm.

once the days get longer and it's light later it's a nightmare, I come off at countess roundabout and go down through larkhill to avoid the queue, although I'm not convinced it's much quicker, but at least I'm moving and not stuck behind idiots who think it's ok to stop and take photos.

Yeh I can concur, I travel up from Plymouth to Basingstoke, leaving 5am Monday morning, and sail straight through to Amesbury, whilst its dark !! Same on the way home on a Wednesday evening. In fact its worse around Andover/Salisbury turnoffs than Stonehenge. Sure itll change once its light again, but my basic rule of thumb, is just to never use the road on a Friday !! 

But it is pretty much all down to sightseers, just need a bloody great fence to stop them looking at the stones, problem solved !

Ive had to do various days over the years and Fridays are just shit, all the time !!

Cant say Im looking forward to the mayhem the tunnel is going to cause as sure a shell my journey is going to get worse during, and almost certainly after given the increase in traffic volumes on the 303 post construction

 

[BeddyDriver]

18 hours ago, SPTFRE said:

Talking about the A303, will the traffic be any more mental around Stone Henge, given the fact that Wednesday 21 June is summer solstice? Best avoided?

Depends on your timing really. I drove straight through there in my campervan on Solstice day last year, but that was quite early comparitviely, given it was the Monday.

Think i went through around 10:30-11pm, and sailed through without even slowing down !

Celebrations were in full swing with the stones all lit up, and people partying,but nowt on the road at all !!

[geoffboycott]

15 hours ago, Smeble said:

I travel up and down the a303 3 or 4 times a week and it's getting worse, not just past Stonehenge, people are commuting further and further nowadays, the mass exodus from Basingstoke west is just silly.

at this time of the year it's dark by the time I get to Stonehenge so nowbody can see the stones and the traffic flows ok, even at 5 or 6 pm.

once the days get longer and it's light later it's a nightmare, I come off at countess roundabout and go down through larkhill to avoid the queue, although I'm not convinced it's much quicker, but at least I'm moving and not stuck behind idiots who think it's ok to stop and take photos.

Yep, agree totally with this and other posters who regularly use the A303.  I live just off it, thankfully we were bypassed some time ago, but can hear the traffic; Friday PM and Sunday PM, especially in the Summer is horrendous.

Said it before; it's getting worse and think we're really starting to pay the price for kicking major A303 work in to the long grass over several decades now.  It ideally needs to be dual carriage all the way from Amesbury down to Honiton imho, but how that is achieved with minimal environmental impact and the cost of doing it I have no solution.

It is generally best avoided (unless going there of course) around the Summer Solstice, but with Glastonbury starting on the same day, it'll be extra busy.  If I was coming from the east, I'd just go M4 and cut down tbh (and not use the side/rural roads!).

 

[MrZigster]

On 08/02/2017 at 2:32 PM, SPTFRE said:

Talking about the A303, will the traffic be any more mental around Stone Henge, given the fact that Wednesday 21 June is summer solstice? Best avoided?

I think I am now definitely going to try to turn up Tuesday night.