63-630: The A303 is a trunk road in southern England, running between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon via Stonehenge . Connecting the M3 and the A30 , it is part of one of the main routes from London to Devon and Cornwall. It is a primary A road throughout its length, passing through five counties . The road has evolved from historical routes, some of which are thousands of years old, including
126-611: A dual carriageway , or are of motorway standard. The term trunk road, or trunk highway , is sometimes used more generically to refer to other categories of major highway. In the United Kingdom, trunk roads were first defined for Great Britain in the Trunk Roads Act 1936 ( 1 Edw. 8. & 1 Geo. 6 . c. 5). Thirty major roads were classed as trunk roads, and the Minister of Transport took direct control of them and
189-524: A " T ". Connecting roads were classified as 'link roads", and had route numbers prefixed by an " L ". Many of these roads had their origins in historic routes , including turnpike roads . Although a number of old road signs using these route designations may still be encountered, Ireland has adopted a newer classification scheme of national primary and national secondary routes ("N" roads), regional roads , and local roads . "N" roads remain equivalent to trunk roads in that they are planned and managed at
252-519: A final decision expected to be announced the following year. In 2019, the preferred route of the A358 upgrade was revealed, and in 2020 the government confirmed funding for the A358 scheme and dualling of the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore. A number of other schemes for the remaining below-standard parts of the A303 were considered in the 1990s, including improvements west of Ilminster towards Marsh, and
315-517: A full network map of trunk roads and motorways in England. Most interurban trunk roads are primary routes , the category of roads recommended for long distance and freight transport. Not all primary routes are trunk roads, the difference being that maintenance of trunk roads is paid for by national government bodies rather than the local councils in whose area they lie. Primary routes are identified by their direction signs, which feature white text on
378-630: A green background with route numbers in yellow. Trunk roads, like other "A" roads, can be either single- or dual-carriageway. Historically, trunk roads were listed on maps with a "T" in brackets after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road, however this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps, which simply distinguish between primary and non-primary "A" roads. A trunk road which has been upgraded to motorway standards may retain its original "A" number, but with an "M" in brackets to denote that motorway regulations apply on it. Long distance examples of this are
441-565: A major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom , Sweden and formerly Ireland . Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk roads which are managed by local authorities. Trunk roads are important routes usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports and other places, which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic . Many trunk roads have segregated lanes in
504-523: A natural landscape around Stonehenge, the A344 road which once joined the A303 at Stonehenge has been removed, following the removal of other features over the last century including the Stonehenge Aerodrome which used to span the A303 around 500 metres (1,600 ft) west of the henge. After Winterbourne Stoke the route once again becomes dual carriageway from Yarnbury Castle and across
567-522: A package of road upgrades. A public enquiry into whether the plans were adequate was announced; it concluded that they were, despite protests from charities and landowners that the tunnel should be longer. Two years later, it was announced that there was to be a review of the options for Stonehenge, starting in January 2006, as costs had doubled. The government cancelled the whole scheme at the end of 2007 owing to excessive environmental constraints. In 2016,
630-597: A plan of the route being detrunked. The routes to be detrunked (as set out in detrunking orders) are not always linear sections, but can be split into multiple sections, and span multiple counties. In England, the government has de-trunked much of the trunk road network since the late 1990s, transferring responsibility to local councils to allow National Highways to concentrate on a selection of core trunk routes, mostly dual carriageways and motorways. The most important roads in Sweden are labelled "national trunk road". In 1982,
693-602: A special, slightly larger budget. However, they are not signed in any special way. Therefore, there is no difference in signage, numbering, road standard or map marking from other national roads. Some national roads are only considered trunk for part of their length. National Roads 73 and 75 are both built to motorway standard and have high traffic, but are not considered trunk. European routes are always trunk in Sweden, and are more visible with special numbering. In Ireland, major roads were previously classified under an old system as "trunk roads", and had route numbers prefixed by
SECTION 10
#1732776362711756-589: A trunk road in 1958. Since then, the A303 has gradually been upgraded to modern standards, though there are still several unimproved parts with longstanding plans to fix them. As a primary route to southwestern England, the A303 is frequently congested on its single carriageway sections. It passes through the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and attempts to upgrade
819-486: A tunnel at Stonehenge. "No-one with any sense wanted a tunnel, a flyover, a dual carriageway, and two whacking great interchanges here." Save Stonehenge, campaigning against improvements to the A303. In 2003, 7.7 miles (12.4 km) of improvements, including the proposed 1.3-mile (2.1 km) road tunnel bored under land adjacent to Stonehenge, were announced by the Secretary of State for Transport as part of
882-477: Is a high-quality motorway route throughout, but a considerably longer distance. Parts of the A303, such as the section past Stonehenge, have been a right of way for people, wagons, and later motor vehicles for millennia. Portions of it follow the Harrow Way , an ancient trackway across Wessex that is one of Britain's oldest roads, reportedly being used as long ago as 3,000 BC. Other sections run on part of
945-728: Is a major road in south west England . It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through Yeovil and Shepton Mallet before terminating at the Three Lamps junction with the A4 in central Bristol . The road is entirely single carriageway, except in the Yeovil and Bristol built-up areas, at Ilchester (where it multiplexes with the A303 ), and north of Dorchester. The road
1008-513: Is one of the main routes connecting Bristol to the county of Dorset and is also a popular non-motorway route from Bristol to Exeter and Cornwall via the A303. From the Podimore roundabout northeast of Ilchester to Shepton Mallet the route traces that of the Fosse Way . The road is subject to a stream of speed restrictions where it winds through a number of small villages. These parts of
1071-507: Is particularly congested during the Summer solstice (around 21 June), when Stonehenge forms a major part of festivities. During the so-called " Battle of Stonehenge " on 1 June 1985, where 520 people clashed violently with police, roadblocks were set up over a 10-mile (16 km) radius around the site. A convoy of trucks managed to break through a block at Cholderton , leading to increased violence. Conflicts were repeated for several years in
1134-678: The A1(M) in England, and the A74(M) in Scotland. It is possible for roads to be "de-trunked" – for example, when superseded by a motorway following a similar route – in which case they normally become ordinary "A" roads . When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making the original route of the road harder to follow. Roads are formally and legally detrunked by statutory instruments named 'Detrunking (or sometimes De-Trunking ) Orders' which include
1197-533: The A30 ). Along with engineer Goldsworthy Gurney , Hanning attempted to design a steam-powered coach that could be run along the New Direct Road. After an experimental round trip to Bath , he invested £10,000 in steam carriages. Sir Charles Dance bought three carriages for trips between Cheltenham and Gloucester , but traditional horse-operated stagecoach operators sabotaged the route and Hanning's carriages did not gain widespread adoption. Nevertheless,
1260-462: The A34 near Bullington before passing south of Andover . The road then passes by Solstice Park and Bulford Camp before bypassing Amesbury and entering the Stonehenge World Heritage Site . The route then becomes single carriageway before passing Stonehenge itself. The presence of the road through a World Heritage Site has been controversial for decades. As part of a long-term strategy to restore
1323-516: The Fosse Way , a Roman road between Exeter and Lincoln constructed around 49 AD. A section of the A303 around Weyhill , west of Andover, runs alongside a ditch thought to be constructed during the Bronze Age . Several historic roads converged at Weyhill, which is believed to have hosted a popular market since the Middle Ages , eventually becoming one of the most important in England by
SECTION 20
#17327763627111386-421: The Harrow Way and the Fosse Way . The modern route was first laid out in the early 19th century as the New Direct Road, a faster coaching route from London to Exeter . It was initially in demand but fell into disuse as railways became popular from the 1840s onwards. It was not thought of as a significant through route when roads were initially numbered, but was revived as a major road in 1933, eventually becoming
1449-615: The High Court of Justice . A hearing concluded that transport secretary Grant Shapps had "acted irrationally and unlawfully" by backing the project and failed to properly assess the environmental impacts of each asset on the Stonehenge World Heritage Site as required by planning law. Campaigners for the Stonehenge Alliance welcomed the decision, but Historic England expressed frustration over
1512-621: The M27 and M3 . One of the worst accident spots on the A37 was the A371 junction just south of Shepton Mallet . The junction was always very busy and suffered long traffic queues due to the nature of the road. The junction was also a point where traffic would converge or pass through from multiple locations, this was further exacerbated by the A361 Glastonbury junction which backed right onto
1575-735: The M5 motorway at Taunton to reduce traffic west of Ilminster. The scheme was the subject of a public consultation in March 2007, and incorporated plans to widen the Ilminster bypass from South Petherton to a dual two-lane road. The plans were shelved in 2009 when it was concluded that the dualling could not be funded from the Regional Funding Allocation for the South West. In 2016, the plans were revived by Highways England, with
1638-926: The Trunk Roads Act 1946 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 6 . c. 30). Others, like virtually all British motorways, have entered the system as a result of new construction. As of 2004, Great Britain had 7,845 mi (12,625 km) of trunk roads, of which 2,161 mi (3,478 km) were motorways. Since 1994, trunk roads in England have been managed by National Highways (formerly Highways England, and before that, Highways Agency), while Scotland has had responsibility for its own trunk roads since 1998 ; these are currently managed by Transport Scotland , created in 2006. The Welsh Government has had responsibility for trunk roads in Wales since its establishment in 1998 . England has 4,300 miles (6,900 km), Scotland has 1,982 miles (3,190 km) and Wales has 1,048 miles (1,687 km) of trunk roads, inclusive of motorways. National Highways publishes
1701-995: The national highways and expressways in India . The term "trunk road" sometimes appears in the names of specific routes, most famously the Grand Trunk Road . In Canada, core national routes are part of the National Highway System , which receive some funding and strategic planning from the federal government, but are managed by the provinces. In China, major national roads are part of China National Highways and Expressways of China . A37 road [REDACTED] A303 in Ilchester [REDACTED] A372 near Podimore [REDACTED] A361 near Shepton Mallet [REDACTED] A371 near Shepton Mallet [REDACTED] A39 near Farrington Gurney [REDACTED] A368 near Pensford The A37
1764-639: The national roads network in Poland are similar models of nationally planned and managed major highways. In the United States, the U.S. Highway and Interstate Highway systems fulfil a similar role to trunk roads. However, individual states are responsible for actual highway construction and maintenance, even though the federal government helps fund these activities. The states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin designate their highways as "state trunklines" or "(state) trunk highways". In India they are
1827-566: The "missed opportunity to remove the intrusive sight and sound of traffic past the iconic monument". The Department for Transport reinstated the scheme in July 2023, but the campaigners against the tunnel challenged it in December in the High Court. The case was lost the following February, when the court upheld the government's decision. The village of Winterbourne Stoke is immediately west of
1890-413: The 1960s, including closing the road for a month in 1967 for levelling and resurfacing. A proposal to fully dual the A303 past Stonehenge was announced in the mid-1970s, but was criticised as being "an environmental disaster" and comparable to driving a dual carriageway through Westminster Abbey . A more comprehensive solution was discussed in 1989's Roads for Prosperity programme, which included upgrading
1953-603: The 1980s; in 1988 a van overturned on the A303 after leaving a clash with police at Stonehenge, killing one passenger and injuring ten others. As well as Stonehenge, the A303 is part of one of the main routes from London to the Glastonbury Festival . During the weekend of the festival in late June, the road is generally gridlocked as people drive towards or away from the festival grounds in Pilton . The Government's Road Investment Strategy has committed to upgrading all
A303 road - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-484: The 19th century. The market closed in the 1950s. The modern course of the A303 was designed in the early 19th century as the "New Direct Road" by William Hanning, chief engineer of the Ilminster Turnpike Trust, in order to improve coaching traffic to southwest England. Russells of Exeter began a coach service along it, though they quickly reverted to the older coaching route further south (now part of
2079-464: The A303 and would be important for removing congestion. In November 2020, the plans were confirmed again in a report by Transport Secretary Andrew Stephenson , and endorsed by Highways England . Though the Government said it had carefully listened to all opinions on the tunnel, the decision to proceed was condemned by environmental campaigners. In July 2021, the tunnel proposals were overturned in
2142-554: The A303 is reached where it joins the A30, which enters as a side road and continues as the main route for Honiton and Exeter . The A303 roughly parallels the West of England line , which competes for long-distance traffic. Although the A303 as a whole is designed to be part of a route from London to Exeter, a popular alternative is to take the M4 motorway to Bristol , followed by the M5 . This
2205-574: The Countess Roundabout with the A345 near Amesbury , and the Podimore roundabout with the A37, are known congestion hotspots because they are insufficient to cope with traffic. Other former junctions, such as the A344 near Stonehenge, have been removed in order to help traffic flow and avoid congestion and accidents. Notes Citations Sources Trunk road A trunk road is
2268-485: The New Direct Road became increasingly used as a coaching route between London and Exeter in the 1820s. Ann Nelson 's "Exeter Telegraph", a coach from London to Devon via the New Direct Road, could travel from Piccadilly to Devonport in a little over 21 hours. It remained a popular coaching route until the arrival of railways in the 1840s. The widespread adoption of railways during railway mania caused coaching services to dry up. Along with many other turnpike routes,
2331-463: The New Direct Road fell into disrepair during the 19th century owing to a lack of funds and available staff. By the turn of the 20th century, it had become little more than a rough track in places, making it difficult to drive on. Road designations were first allocated by the Ministry of Transport in the early 1920s, but the New Direct Road was not initially considered a major through route. Instead,
2394-461: The Solstice at Stonehenge (1 June 1985): "Down the '303 at the end of the road, Flashing lights, exclusion zones". Prior to the broadcast of Series 15 of Top Gear in 2010, the cast of Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond and James May were spotted and recorded driving along the A303 in what appeared to be house cars. The video was recorded and put on YouTube . In 2011, BBC Four broadcast
2457-473: The Stonehenge tunnel was revived by the Government, who awarded a £17.5m design contract to build a 1.8-mile (2.9 km) tunnel. Local residents were pleased with the news, but a survey suggested 90% still preferred a diversion away from the stones instead. The plan was finalised the following year as part of a £2 billion programme. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the improvements would "transform"
2520-611: The World Heritage Site, and proposals to upgrade the A303 in this area have generally provided a bypass for it. There have also been proposals to build a bypass as a standalone project, without requiring the improvements around Stonehenge. In November 2004, plans to improve the route through the Blackdown Hills (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ) were abandoned in favour of upgrading the A358 from Ilminster to
2583-587: The Wylye valley, meeting the A36 at Deptford . There is then another section of single carriageway road, coming out of the valley and up to the crest of the Great Ridge, before a further section of dual down from the hill crest near Berwick St Leonard . On reaching the valley, it reverts again to single carriageway through the village of Chicklade , before following the terrain over to Mere , where it runs north of
A303 road - Misplaced Pages Continue
2646-399: The bridges across them. The Trunk Roads Act came into force in England and Wales on 1 April 1937, and in Scotland on 16 May 1937. This development did not extend to Northern Ireland , which has always had a separate system of highway and road traffic law. At that time, 4,500 miles (7,200 km) of British roads were classified as trunk roads. Additional roads have been "trunked", notably in
2709-406: The bypass. The dual carriageway ends at South Petherton . It runs north of Ilminster as a three-lane single carriageway where it meets the A358 , providing access to the M5 motorway . The A303 is of a lower standard west of Ilminster. It passes through the Blackdown Hills as a narrow road following the contours of the land, with the exception of a dual-carriageway bypass of Marsh . The end of
2772-469: The documentary A303 Highway to the Sun . The writer Tom Fort drove the length of the A303 in a Morris Traveller , making various stops. The following year, he published a book with the same title; it covers the history of the road, and British road planning, together with landscape, history and general travel writing. During research, one interviewee recommended using the A303 to reach southwest England, adding it
2835-464: The first fatal accident of the recently formed Royal Flying Corps . Since the 1950s, the A303 has been criticised for being inadequate for the level of traffic along it. In 1959, it was reported that a typical queue for holiday traffic along the road could be as much as 15 miles (24 km). In 2017, over 35 miles (56 km) of the road west of Amesbury remains single carriageway, interrupted by various sections of dual carriageway. The switches between
2898-511: The first junction. This muddled configuration resulted in numerous road traffic accidents , many of which were fatal. After a long campaign for the junction to be replaced, a roundabout was constructed in 1999 significantly improving road safety and traffic flow. There have been few other construction schemes on the road in recent decades. In recent years most of the overtaking lanes, provided on steep stretches just south of Bristol , have been blocked out with chevrons. A potential extension of
2961-572: The government in February 2021. Work began on this section that October. Kula Shaker performed their first impromptu gig at the Glastonbury Festival , which can be reached via the A303. The road was the inspiration for the song "303" on their debut album K . The road was also mentioned in the Levellers ' song " Battle of the Beanfield ", about the attack by police on travellers celebrating
3024-457: The latter to the former act as bottlenecks and are major sources of congestion along the route. Upgrading the remaining sections of road is difficult due to environmental concerns; in 1986, an upgrade of the A303 in Hampshire caused public outcry after the work destroyed the remains of an Iron Age settlement, and consequently, £100,000 was spent on emergency rescue excavation work. The A303
3087-570: The national level by the National Roads Authority . Some former trunk roads, or sections of former trunk roads, became non-trunk regional roads under the new road numbering system introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, sections of former national primary routes which have been bypassed by motorways or other road improvement schemes have been downgraded to regional road status. The route nationale system in France and
3150-522: The older coaching road further south via Salisbury and Yeovil was determined to be the main road. Maps produced by companies independent to the Ordnance Survey , the Government's official mapping body, marked the New Direct Road as a "class I" route anyway. The A303 was created on 1 April 1933 as the "Alternative London – Exeter route" after the Ministry of Transport realised the New Direct Road
3213-493: The parliament decided upon which roads were to become national trunk roads. They are considered recommended main roads for long-distance traffic. They were also supposed to be used for movement and transport of heavy military vehicles, ordnance and logistics and during wartime were to be guarded and defended at all odds. National trunk roads are planned and managed by the national Swedish Transport Administration , as opposed to other roads, which are planned locally. They also have
SECTION 50
#17327763627113276-439: The remaining single carriage sections of the A303 as far as Ilminster. Highways England have made numerous proposals to improve the road, and it is currently identified under several Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. The most controversial upgrade of the A303 has been improvement to the road through the Stonehenge World Heritage Site , where it remains a congested single carriageway road. There were minor changes in
3339-492: The road can be dangerous, especially where wide vehicles pass on sections where buildings are close to the road. The original A37 in 1922 started in Fortuneswell, Isle of Portland , however, the section to Dorchester was soon renumbered A354 , presumably to create a link between the major port of Weymouth and the A30 at Salisbury , from where the route would continue to London . Such a route has now been superseded by
3402-485: The road in those areas have been controversial. In particular, the Stonehenge tunnel , which would see the A303 rerouted underground, has been proposed and delayed several times. Nevertheless, the road remains a popular alternative to motorway driving. The A303 is about 93 miles (150 km) long. It starts at the M3 motorway south of Basingstoke at Junction 8, as a dual carriageway . It heads south-west, crossing
3465-468: The road to dual carriageway and bypassing Winterborne Stoke . In 1993, the Minister for Roads, Kenneth Carlisle , announced plans for either a 0.5-kilometre (0.31 mi) tunnel or a diversion of the A303 a mile from Stonehenge, costing £44 million and £22 million respectively. Although the new Labour government cancelled many road schemes after coming to power in 1997, there was still general support for
3528-575: The short term. In 2016, Devon County Council announced they would self-fund improvements to the A303 between Ilminster and Honiton, which was not included in Highways England's list. The council put together three proposals for alternative routes, with the aim of securing £170 million of Government funding once a preferred route is chosen. Plans to improve the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester by upgrading three miles of single carriageway to high-quality dual carriageway were approved by
3591-688: The single-carriageway section around Yeovilton. These proposals were all cancelled in 1998. The schemes were later remitted to the London to South West and South Wales Multi-Modal Study (SWARMMS), and the conclusion of the report was that all of the schemes east of Ilminster should go ahead; and to avoid building a dual carriageway through the Blackdown Hills the A358 should be upgraded to the M5 at Taunton. In 2009, none were considered to be regional priorities, so no other improvements were likely to be funded in
3654-543: The so-called suicide lane ) or to dual carriageway; but none were longer than 2 miles (3.2 km). Andover and Amesbury were bypassed in 1969, while general improvements to the road, including additional dualling, took place throughout the 1970s. In 1971, the Environment Secretary , Peter Walker announced the entire length of the A303 would be upgraded as part of a new roads programme that would deliver 1,000 new miles of motorway by 1980. A bypass of Marsh
3717-580: The town as another dual carriageway bypass. Continuing west, it passes south of Wincanton , then north of Sparkford before bypassing Ilchester and RNAS Yeovilton . Between Ilchester and Shores Bridge (over the River Parrett , east of South Petherton) the road follows the course of the Roman Fosse Way . At Yeovilton the road connects with the A37 which joins it until it reaches the end of
3780-404: Was "less boring than the motorway, and you've always got Stonehenge". The programme was praised for its eclecticism and enthusiasm for what could have been a tedious subject. There are a wide variety of junctions on the A303. These range from motorway-style free-flowing junctions such as that with the A36 near Wylye , to simple forks on the single carriageway sections. Some junctions, such as
3843-518: Was built as single carriageway with 3 lanes, which caused a serious safety hazard leading to several fatal accidents. In 2013, after decades of debate, the A303's junction with the A344 , just east of Stonehenge, was closed as part of improvements to visitor facilities. During this work, a roadside monument was moved to the visitor centre; the stone monument is to Captain Eustace Loraine and Staff-Sergeant Richard Wilson, killed in July 1912 in
SECTION 60
#17327763627113906-407: Was opened in 1976; it was (and remains) the only dual carriageway upgrade of the A303 through the Blackdown Hills. By the mid-1980s, the A303 had been extended from its original fork by Micheldever Station , next to the A30, eastwards to meet the M3 motorway , and was a completely uninterrupted dual carriageway westwards as far as Amesbury. Ilminster was bypassed around this time; however the new road
3969-400: Was still useful as a major road for motor traffic. The route created a long bypass for sections of the A30 that ran south of it. In 1958, the Ministry of Transport upgraded the A303 to trunk road status. It believed it was easier to upgrade than the parallel A30 as it passed through fewer towns. Initial improvements to the road in the 1960s included widening small sections to 3 lanes (forming
#710289