A358 Taunton to Southfields

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tompatt
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by tompatt »

Richardf wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:27
tompatt wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:10
Richardf wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 18:37 M4/M5 route might be an option for those based between there and the A303, but it's not an option for those of us south of the A303.
Depends how much you enjoy staring at the back of a tractor through the Blackdowns :D
True but if you lived south of the A303 would you head for the M4 to get to the west country? I'd personally go A303/A358! Or even A35 depending on where I was heading for.
Ah I'm sorry I thought you meant south of the 303 at the Devon end!
tompatt
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34
roadtester wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:07 On the question of whether this is just a scheme to solve local problems or part of a grand vision to provide the missing link for the A303 as a high quality route to the southwest, I notice that the Highways Agency page for the Sparkford to Ilchester improvement (I was prompted to look at this because it is referred to in the UK road building costs thread) refers to the A303/A358 corridor, and the need to upgrade it, so this is clearly a thing.

https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/ ... ilchester/

If that's the role A358 Taunton to Southfields is supposed to play, it really shouldn't be skimped on.
That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
There's even a crawler lane after the single lane exit to add the madness.
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Herned »

JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
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Peter350
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34
JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
There’s a couple on the westbound A31 where the dual Ferndown bypass becomes single carriageway at Ameysford Roundabout.
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34 Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
The A9 does at Tore.
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Johnathan404
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Johnathan404 »

Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34
JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
Yes, loads, but what would really solve Jon's problem is some information on which lane to use on approach to the roundabout. Or better still, mark it as two lanes, as there is space to do so anyway.
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Herned
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Herned »

Johnathan404 wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 19:07 Yes, loads, but what would really solve Jon's problem is some information on which lane to use on approach to the roundabout. Or better still, mark it as two lanes, as there is space to do so anyway.
Ok fair enough, odd that they aren't standard practice then... and yes, it would make more sense to mark the roundabout and exit as two lanes. Although hopefully it will all be moot in a couple of years
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Richardf »

Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34
JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
Not sure but there are always nice big two way road signs exiting the roundabout when it become's S2. IMO a roundabout is one of the better ways to end a DC. It's the ones that end abruptly on S2 roads that I don't like,
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Jeni
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Jeni »

Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 19:26
Johnathan404 wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 19:07 Yes, loads, but what would really solve Jon's problem is some information on which lane to use on approach to the roundabout. Or better still, mark it as two lanes, as there is space to do so anyway.
Ok fair enough, odd that they aren't standard practice then... and yes, it would make more sense to mark the roundabout and exit as two lanes. Although hopefully it will all be moot in a couple of years
There are so many examples out there that I thought it *was* standard practice!
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Herned »

Jeni wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 20:38 There are so many examples out there that I thought it *was* standard practice!
I just had a bit of a wider look via streetview, with a southern bias as I know more places to check, and it's about 50/50, with no obvious pattern e.g. Lewes bypass does have them, Polegate doesn't, and that's the same road in the same county
tompatt
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by tompatt »

Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34
JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
End of Dual section of A361 near Tiverton. Is this what you mean?

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9146787 ... 384!8i8192
tompatt
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by tompatt »

tompatt wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 08:31
Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 18:34
JonH wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 13:34 That Sparkford to Ilchester bit is yet another "get on and chuffing build it" Who ever permitted the bit where the dual A303 hits the roundabout and exits as a single lane road with no hint or warning or a merge (Hazelgrove Roundabout), is yet another person I would like to cause severe pain to... :evil:
Do roads ever have an end of dual carriageway sign when they end at a roundabout? I can't think of any, and checking a few locations on streetview doesn't show anywhere as having them
End of Dual section of A361 near Tiverton. Is this what you mean?

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9146787 ... 384!8i8192
Johnathan404 wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 19:07
Yes, loads, but what would really solve Jon's problem is some information on which lane to use on approach to the roundabout. Or better still, mark it as two lanes, as there is space to do so anyway.
Problem is the exit is S2 which then widens to provide a crawler lane. So worst of both worlds, the roundabout gets incredibly congested up as traffic leaving the A359 and you still end up with a merging pile on at the top of the crawler.

Another reason why I avoid this road as much as I can.
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by JonH »

Herned wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 21:55
Jeni wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 20:38 There are so many examples out there that I thought it *was* standard practice!
I just had a bit of a wider look via streetview, with a southern bias as I know more places to check, and it's about 50/50, with no obvious pattern e.g. Lewes bypass does have them, Polegate doesn't, and that's the same road in the same county
A33 southbound has this at the Wellington Roundabout (between Reading & Basingstoke) - two lanes on approach, one lane on exit - not a hint of any warning. How there are not more crashes there is probably down to the majority knowing what is coming and - therefore - pure luck!
tompatt
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by tompatt »

In separate but related news the A358 Toneway is set to be widened as part of the improvements at Junction 25

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/som ... ay-3085195
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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Just home after a week in Cornwall. Unusually for me I found myself taking the M5/A358 route to join the A303 due to an accident blocking both directions on the S2 stretch past Marsh.

I was interested to note that the flag sign onto the A358 from the J25 roundabout is designated ‘Yeovil A358 (A303),
Weymouth (A37)’.

Not the best signposting in the world (Yeovil isn’t on the A303 but I suppose you take it to reach the A3088 and thence Yeovil) but it does indicate the strategic relevance of the N-S route as well as the E-W route that HE want it to become.

Should it, in the future, read ‘Andover, London A358 (A303)
Yeovil, Dorchester, Weymouth (A37) (A3088)’

Or should the A3088 be renumbered A358 and the A358 south of the A303 become something else?
Formerly ‘guvvaA303’
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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A320Driver wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 00:55

Not the best signposting in the world (Yeovil isn’t on the A303 but I suppose you take it to reach the A3088 and thence Yeovil) but it does indicate the strategic relevance of the N-S route as well as the E-W route that HE want it to become.
This is now the recommended/signed route from Bristol to Weymouth, rather than the A37 throughout.
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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WHBM wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 02:16
A320Driver wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 00:55

Not the best signposting in the world (Yeovil isn’t on the A303 but I suppose you take it to reach the A3088 and thence Yeovil) but it does indicate the strategic relevance of the N-S route as well as the E-W route that HE want it to become.
This is now the recommended/signed route from Bristol to Weymouth, rather than the A37 throughout.
Maybe the A37 should be rerouted along the A3088 and then multiplex with the A303 up to Ilchester?
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hoagy_ytfc
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by hoagy_ytfc »

WHBM wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 02:16 This is now the recommended/signed route from Bristol to Weymouth, rather than the A37 throughout.
A pedant writes....

The A37 doesn't go to Weymouth.

But apart from that, I don't think _more_ traffic needs to hit the Yeovil Western Corridor , or that more needs to hit the Cartgate roundabout from the A3088 - unless expensive improvements are made to both
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Peter350
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

Post by Peter350 »

hoagy_ytfc wrote:
A pedant writes....

The A37 doesn't go to Weymouth.
It used to, before the great numbering revision of 1935 which saw the bit south of Dorchester become the A354 to ‘provide a coherent route number towards London’. The planners of that time obviously didn’t have the crystal ball to realise that it would eventually become redundant as a strategic route due to the construction of the M3 and M27, which in turn made the A31/A35 a much better candidate for upgrading. In this day and age, the Dorchester - Weymouth road ought to revert back to A37 again to reflect its strategic importance for traffic heading to Bristol and the West Country, as well as much of Wales.
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Re: A358 Taunton to Southfields

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Peter350 wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 00:03
hoagy_ytfc wrote:
A pedant writes....

The A37 doesn't go to Weymouth.
It used to, before the great numbering revision of 1935 which saw the bit south of Dorchester become the A354 to ‘provide a coherent route number towards London’. The planners of that time obviously didn’t have the crystal ball to realise that it would eventually become redundant as a strategic route due to the construction of the M3 and M27, which in turn made the A31/A35 a much better candidate for upgrading. In this day and age, the Dorchester - Weymouth road ought to revert back to A37 again to reflect its strategic importance for traffic heading to Bristol and the West Country, as well as much of Wales.
Agree, A37 would be a good number for Weymouth-Yeovil- A303. Leave Portland out, that could be served by an extended A353.
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