A3 road

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The A3 is a trunk road in Southern England, connecting London to Portsmouth.

As the major link between the capital city and one its major sea ports, and originally known as ‘the Portsmouth Road’ for much of its length, the route once had great strategic significance. Many of the towns and villages that it passed through gained income and prestige as a result — such as Kingston-upon-Thames, Esher, Guildford, Godalming, Haslemere and Petersfield. For some of its length, the road follows a similar line to the Portsmouth Direct Line railway, although one of the major exceptions is that the A3 does not go through or closely bypass Havant.

However, a programme of road improvements starting in the 1930s transformed the road so that is now predominantly a two or three lane dual carriageway, bypassing the town centres, with a section of motorway, the A3(M), just before the road reaches the A27.

The road was once the haunt of highwaymen. For example, the legendary Jerry Abershawe terrorised the area around Kingston and led a gang based at the Bald Faced Stag Inn on the Portsmouth Road.

Another particularly dangerous location was in the vicinity of the Devil's Punch Bowl, Hindhead, about 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Guildford. Today, this is an area better known for traffic jams, for it remains one of the very few stretches of single carriageway on the A3, and is heavily used by commuters. Long queues build up here, particularly during the morning peak hours.

A 1.9 km (1.2 mile) tunnel under Hindhead Common is planned, subject to a Public Enquiry, with construction timetabled for 2005 to 2010. This will improve the last remaining single carriageway section of the A3 outside of London and Portsmouth to dual carriageway.

All junctions on the A3 are also being upgraded to slip roads, with bridges replacing crossroads and roundabouts.

1 Cycle paths
2 London
3 A3(M) Junctions
4 External links

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Cycle paths

There are several shared pedestrian and cycle paths on the A3, although many seem to be very infrequently used. One cycle path links the village of Liss with the town of Petersfield on the Portsmouth-bound side of the A3 Petersfield bypass. However, an alternative cycle route would be the B2070 or 'Old A3' which was the main route from Liphook and Liss to Petersfield before the construction of the bypass.

Another links the village of Greatham with West Liss. The path is on the London-bound side, linking to a bridge over the A3 to West Liss. This means cyclists and pedestrians are not required to cross the dual carriageway on foot at the Ham Barn roundabout as would be the case if they went to West Liss on Farnham Rd (the B3006).

There is also a cycle path between Greatham and Liphook, and nearer Portsmouth there is a cycle path between Clanfield and the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, a large forest near Petersfield next to the A3.

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London

In central London, the A3 starts at London Bridge, going south-west along Borough High Street and Newington Causeway to the Elephant and Castle roundabout. It continues along Newington Butts, Kennington Park Road, Clapham Road and Clapham High Street. The road then passes the north side of Clapham Common and through Wandsworth to Wimbledon Common. It bypasses Kingston upon Thames in outer London.

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A3(M) Junctions

A3(M) Motorway
Northbound exits	Junction	Southbound exits
Start of motorway	Terminus	A27 West
A2030, Havant Road; B2177, Bedhampton Hill Road; To A27 East	5	A2030, Havant Road; B2177, Bedhampton Hill Road; To A27 East
Purbrook Road	4	No exit
B2150, Hulbert Road	3	B2150, Hulbert Road
B2149, Dell Piece West, Dell Piece East	2	B2149, Dell Piece West, Dell Piece East
No exit	1 & Terminus	(A3 exit) A3 South, London Road