A303 at Stonehenge

[tuffer]

The traffic around Stonehenge is becoming a complete joke (a bad one at that), as far as I can tell it is just down to people rubbernecking at the Stones. Now I appreciate Stonehenge, I live just down the road but often go for a walk or ride out that way to take a look, what I do not do is slow to a crawl or even stop on an A road to take a fking picture or gawp gormlessly at them from my car. The "improvements" to the A360 Roundabout are a bloody nightmare, when traveling East people in the left hand lane drift into the right lane on the roundabout blocking those in the right hand lane (not so much a design issue as some peoples inability to drive or follow simple road markings). Heading West on Saturday afternoon was painful and coming back East today was even worse with the problem clearly being people just slowing down to get a look.

[Johnnytheboy]

I agree - those roundabout changes have been an utter waste of time.

Just dual the bloody A303 FFS.

[ScoobyChris]

When I used to do that route regularly, I got fed up of getting stuck/crawling through that section (especially in the summer months) and often opted to turn off at the Solstice services and head north and through Bulford camp and onto Chitterne. Nice long sight lines and an opportunity to stretch the car's legs

Chris

[Saleen836]

ScoobyChris said:

When I used to do that route regularly, I got fed up of getting stuck/crawling through that section (especially in the summer months) and often opted to turn off at the Solstice services and head north and through Bulford camp and onto Chitterne. Nice long sight lines and an opportunity to stretch the car's legs

Chris

So many people use that back route now even that has slowed right down, I must admit I had been travelling from Warminster to Amesbury daily for work for approx 12 months and am now travelling to Tidworth, it would seem that now, no matter what time of the year there is a traffic report daily saying there is queing/very slow moving traffic heading west up to Longbarrow Roundabout.

[tuffer]

ScoobyChris said:

When I used to do that route regularly, I got fed up of getting stuck/crawling through that section (especially in the summer months) and often opted to turn off at the Solstice services and head north and through Bulford camp and onto Chitterne. Nice long sight lines and an opportunity to stretch the car's legs

Chris

I do occasionally go that way but the local villages are being hit hard by the traffic and being local myself I feel for them, the council should have put in a dual carriageway or a tunnel, even a fence to block the Stones from sight would help.

[Puggit]

tuffer said:

I do occasionally go that way but the local villages are being hit hard by the traffic and being local myself I feel for them, the council should have put in a dual carriageway or a tunnel, even a fence to block the Stones from sight would help.

Highways Agency and not the council, as it's a trunk route.

[Red Devil]

tuffer said:

I do occasionally go that way but the local villages are being hit hard by the traffic and being local myself I feel for them, the council should have put in a dual carriageway or a tunnel, even a fence to block the Stones from sight would help.

There have been several proposals for a tunnel. None of them have come to fruition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge_road_tunne...
The longer it is left unresolved the more the costs increase. I can't see it ever happening.

[Nimby]

Another feasibility study is under way.

They've probably spend more on enquiries (£43M apparently) than it would have cost to dual from Amesbury to Winterborne Stoke in the first place.

Edited by Nimby on Thursday 6th March 16:55

[Red Devil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-common...

[bitwrx]

The whole situation around Stonehenge really fks me off.

Closing the B-whatever has driven all the local traffic through bulford and shrewton because the 303 is permanently fouled up. The new roundabout and the visitor centrebare a fking eyesore on otherwise largely unspoiled chalk downland.

And still it takes 40mins to do 3 miles.
It's the only place I've been stuck in a traffic queue in a tractor.

[Nimby]

Maybe this time ...?

[Johnnytheboy]

Announced by this government means almost certainly not, sadly.

[AAGR]

I'm now waiting avidly for someone from Greenpeace/Brake/Mums Net [fill in the appropriate lunatic pressure group title ....] to respond, saying that no road improvement of any type should be considered, that we should go by train instead (Note - there isn't a station within ten miles ....), or use bicycles/horses/or walk ......

Not that it matters, because we're only seven months ahead of a General Election, and no big capital projects are likely to be announced before then ....

[Saleen836]

Just dual the single bits and build a bank to obscure the stones, job sorted and money saved!

[tuffer]

Dualing and building a bank would have a serious impact on the look and feel of the area, a tunnel is the only option.

[Saleen836]

tuffer said:

Dualing and building a bank would have a serious impact on the look and feel of the area, a tunnel is the only option.

True, although some of the problem is caused by drivers slowing to look at the stones I think a lot of the problem is being caused by Longbarrow roundabout, the layout and the markings on it just confuse most drivers, but then the biggest problem is volume of traffic so even if a tunnel was built the problem will still be there (unless they remove the roundabout)

[garycab]

Millions spent on traffic lights at Amesbury roundabout .........now traffic can back up to Solstice Services

Millions spent on blocking off the road up to the stones.........all traffic have to carry along along the 303

Millions spent on the roundabout at the new entrance road to visitor centre ......more traffic que's along 303

I work for a company that have up to 50 vans & lorries traveling that road every day, when I started 10 years ago, we used to have jams on a Friday in the holidays and b/h weekends only, now it's EVERY day in the holidays, and even tail backs on bloody Mondays!! it's never been as bad as this and that's with all the IMPROVEMENTS , how does it make sense knowing that traffic has to go through the town or through the army base? I travel nearly 100,000 miles a year and that's the only road that makes my blood boil, and I think the biggest problem is that it doesn't effect any of the big wigs sat in Parliament , it's not in London....doesn't matter.......it's just a pile of stones FFS

[gaz1234]

It's the dick londoners

[Webber3]

Johnnytheboy said:

Announced by this government means almost certainly not, sadly.

and more money wasted on feasibility studies.

[anonymous-user]

And from the other Stonhenge thread

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/post.asp?h=0&am...

odyssey2200 said:

I have seen a few accidents there over the years but I really am surprised that there haven't bee more.

Routing trafic to the roundabout make much more sense IMHO.

I still think a tunel would be a great idea

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-30248826

Odyssey may not get his wish yet (V8fettler will blame the Highways planners though )


Edit to try and get today's BBC link working

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 29th November 08:44