The Bullington Cross Companion to Bizarre Road Junctions
Discussion
Travelling south on the A34 hoping to join the A303 to go east, you may picture making a left turn, or leaving a roundabout by the first exit.
No.
It doesn't work like that.
You go under the A303, leave the A34, turn left at the roundabout on to the A30, pass the slip to the A303 westbound, go under the A303, pass under the A34, take the second exit at the roundabout and on to the slip for the A303 eastbound.
How did it happen? Is it the result of many years of multiple alterations to the layout? It must be getting on for a mile of Mystery Tour. And there's often a hold up at the entrance to the A303 westbound slip with vehicles queueing, despite there being enough room for two lanes to allow the through traffic past.
No.
It doesn't work like that.
You go under the A303, leave the A34, turn left at the roundabout on to the A30, pass the slip to the A303 westbound, go under the A303, pass under the A34, take the second exit at the roundabout and on to the slip for the A303 eastbound.
How did it happen? Is it the result of many years of multiple alterations to the layout? It must be getting on for a mile of Mystery Tour. And there's often a hold up at the entrance to the A303 westbound slip with vehicles queueing, despite there being enough room for two lanes to allow the through traffic past.
Nope is has always been like like (well in my 30 years of using it)!
I always think the slip road connecting the A34 North->A303 West is way too short and just asking for an accident. The run off is about 10 metres, so you have slow moving lorries cutting into the outside lane with 0 notice.
I always think the slip road connecting the A34 North->A303 West is way too short and just asking for an accident. The run off is about 10 metres, so you have slow moving lorries cutting into the outside lane with 0 notice.
Edited by amoeba on Monday 18th September 10:38
You'll be wanting the bad junctions page then. A34 is on there but not the A303 junction.
king arthur said:
You'll be wanting the bad junctions page then. A34 is on there but not the A303 junction.
Nice link! I see they've got the fever-dream induced M6/A34 junction (M6 J7) on there, I used to drive that quite frequently and I always thought it was strange that Spaghetti Junction got all the bad press and everyone ignored the terribleness of J, spag looks mental on the maps and satellite views but is actually pretty intuitive to drive through whereas J7 is a s
t mess that's just begging for accidents day in-day out
I know this junction quite well and imo the design is appalling.
Some of the slip roads are stupidly short and there have been some very nasty accidents there. In fact, when I lived in the area it seemed like there were accidents on a daily basis!
The next junction further south is another accident black spot (not the services).
Some of the slip roads are stupidly short and there have been some very nasty accidents there. In fact, when I lived in the area it seemed like there were accidents on a daily basis!
The next junction further south is another accident black spot (not the services).
DickyC said:
Travelling south on the A34 hoping to join the A303 to go east, you may picture making a left turn, or leaving a roundabout by the first exit.
I had to do a double take - I use this junction every day as it happens (from the A34 to the A303). It must be confusing for first time users, I guess you get used to it after a while.Another masterpiece of roadbuilding is the A322 junction with the A30 at Bagshot.
Again, I wonder if weird junctions we meet now are the result of years of poor, cost-driven, decisions over the years and wouldn't have happened if they'd started with a clean sheet of paper. The railway doesn't help in this instance.
If you are travelling south from Bracknell on the A322 and want to join the A30, you go under the A30, turn left at Windlesham Golf Club and go up towards Longacre Garden Centre, joining the A30 at the roundabout.
If you wanted to go towards Camberley, you could carry on south along the A322, turn left for Windlesham, double back just after the junction, cross the A322 and go through Bagshot village. Traffic from Camberley heading for the M3 tends to go through Bagshot rather then carry on along the A30 to the garden centre.
My brother always reckoned there is one permutation at the A30/A322 junction which you can't do but I think he's wrong. I think they are all available even if some are a complete pain.
Again, I wonder if weird junctions we meet now are the result of years of poor, cost-driven, decisions over the years and wouldn't have happened if they'd started with a clean sheet of paper. The railway doesn't help in this instance.
If you are travelling south from Bracknell on the A322 and want to join the A30, you go under the A30, turn left at Windlesham Golf Club and go up towards Longacre Garden Centre, joining the A30 at the roundabout.
If you wanted to go towards Camberley, you could carry on south along the A322, turn left for Windlesham, double back just after the junction, cross the A322 and go through Bagshot village. Traffic from Camberley heading for the M3 tends to go through Bagshot rather then carry on along the A30 to the garden centre.
My brother always reckoned there is one permutation at the A30/A322 junction which you can't do but I think he's wrong. I think they are all available even if some are a complete pain.
M40/A43 junction at Cherwell Valley had a period as a terrible junction. It was built in it's current guise (ish) and then some moron had the idea to make the A43 traffic joining the M40 south have to cross the A43 traffic heading north from the M40 via a roundabout. With predictable jams being caused.
You can still see the old slip road from the roundabout on Google: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9504166,-1.2021429...
You can still see the old slip road from the roundabout on Google: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9504166,-1.2021429...
DickyC said:
Another masterpiece of roadbuilding is the A322 junction with the A30 at Bagshot.
My brother always reckoned there is one permutation at the A30/A322 junction which you can't do but I think he's wrong. I think they are all available even if some are a complete pain.
I live in Windlesham and you can do all the options. My brother always reckoned there is one permutation at the A30/A322 junction which you can't do but I think he's wrong. I think they are all available even if some are a complete pain.
The junction between the A322 and New Road has an interesting layout too!
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff