Was the A31 ever planned to go to Weymouth?

[Peter350]

Nowadays, the quickest way to get from Bere Regis to Weymouth is to take the A35 to Dorchester, then the A354 onwards from there. Before the Weymouth relief road was built however, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, I can remember when Westbound traffic approaching Bere Regis was signposted to Weymouth via Wool, and that was only back in 2011.

The route taken would have been the unclassified road from Bere Regis to Wool, the A352 onwards to Warmwell roundabout and finally, the A353 from there. The first section, despite being unclassified is the highest standard section of the route in my opinion and makes me wonder why this was never even a B road, let alone an extension of the A31. There is also a short section of D2 west of Owermoigne, built years before the Dorchester and Puddletown bypasses which seems overkill for what is now a quiet rural road.

So I want to know, seeing as this route is overall a better standard than the pre-bypass A35/A354, was it once planned to become an extension of the A31?

[RichardA35]

Nowadays, the quickest way to get from Bere Regis to Weymouth is to take the A35 to Dorchester, then the A354 onwards from there. Before the Weymouth relief road was built however, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, I can remember when Westbound traffic approaching Bere Regis was signposted to Weymouth via Wool, and that was only back in 2011.

There is still a small existing flag sign on the A35 East entry at the roundabout, I cannot recall any other direction signage for Weymouth having been present over the last 20 years.

The route taken would have been the unclassified road from Bere Regis to Wool, the A352 onwards to Warmwell roundabout and finally, the A353 from there. The first section, despite being unclassified is the highest standard section of the route in my opinion and makes me wonder why this was never even a B road, let alone an extension of the A31. There is also a short section of D2 west of Owermoigne, built years before the Dorchester and Puddletown bypasses which seems overkill for what is now a quiet rural road.

So I want to know, seeing as this route is overall a better standard than the pre-bypass A35/A354, was it once planned to become an extension of the A31?

In conversation with DCC some 20 years ago, in conjunction with the opening of the A35 at Tolpuddle, I recall there being an aspiration to reroute the B3390 from the A352 to the A354 to run via Wool, Bere Regis and Winerborne Kingston. This was also at a time when detrunking of the route was a possibility. This has yet to come about but the northern route is used as a de-facto cut through to the Blandford Road along with the current B3390 to avoid the slower sections of the A354.
That nothing has been done about Wool Level Crossing is a further constraint on promoting this route.
The possibility of the A31 being extended seems remote as even in the 1980's Weymouth's fortunes were in decline as a Channel Islands port with the shift away from rail travel and its remoteness compared to Poole.
A search through Hansard for promoted schemes in the area will pick up the A31 Poole Link as late as the 1990's as a strategic scheme but nothing for Weymouth beyond the Relief Road in its various guises which, like any link from Bere Regis would have to have been, was promoted as a local scheme as Weymouth was apparently not thought important enough to have a trunk link.

[Richardf]

I don't think this is a very fesable plan to be honest. It would make more sense to reroute the A35 this way and extend the A31 westwards to Dorchester or beyond. This is highly unlikely to be considered by road planners.

On a historical note, the A354 from Dorchester to Portland was once part of the A37 and later became part of the A354 route. Maybe it should again, at least as far as the A353, which could take over to Portland.

[Peter350]

I don't think this is a very fesable plan to be honest. It would make more sense to reroute the A35 this way and extend the A31 westwards to Dorchester or beyond. This is highly unlikely to be considered by road planners.

On a historical note, the A354 from Dorchester to Portland was once part of the A37 and later became part of the A354 route. Maybe it should again, at least as far as the A353, which could take over to Portland.

I've just found out on the SABRE Wiki that the A354 was extended in the first place to provide a more consistent number for the route Weymouth - London route. Now that the core section of this route (Puddletown - Salisbury) is only of regional importance, having been superseded by the A31, M27 and M3, it would make sense to give the Dorchester - Portland route a more strategically important number. Like you said, A37 would make the most sense as it provides connectivity with the A303, M5 and Bristol.

[J6onM27]

As a child travelling down to Weymouth I remember Bere Regis not having a bypass. The A31 ended at a set of traffic lights as a T junction with the A35 being the dominant road from Poole to Dorchester. As someone else said the Dorchester to Weymouth route was the A37. Back then there was no bypasses or relief roads including Dorchester. The best way to Weymouth avoiding the heaviest of traffic was actually to come off the A35 before Tolpuddle and go via Crossways and past the white horse at Preston.

[WHBM]

I believe the good quality unclassed road from Wool to Bere Regis, and onward through Winterborne Kingston to the A354 Salisbury road, was rebuilt in WW2 or just afterwards to facilitate military movements, including tank transporters, from the Salisbury Plain bases to the Bovingdon and Lulworth training grounds.

The A353 coastal route through Osmington to Weymouth may be convenient for certain eastern parts of the town, but the main heavy traffic of past times was to Portland base, which it was desired to keep clear and for which the various sections of the relief road over time have alleviated, to an extent.

[WHBM]

Fascinating video of the old vehicle convoy just a few weeks ago commemorating 100 years after the end of WW1, ran along these exact roads from Bovingdon to Blandford and to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, the heaviest taking three steam traction engines to move it.

I'm sorry I didn't see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GMITokuHN4

[Owain]

I don't think this is a very fesable plan to be honest. It would make more sense to reroute the A35 this way and extend the A31 westwards to Dorchester or beyond. This is highly unlikely to be considered by road planners.

On a historical note, the A354 from Dorchester to Portland was once part of the A37 and later became part of the A354 route. Maybe it should again, at least as far as the A353, which could take over to Portland.

I've just found out on the SABRE Wiki that the A354 was extended in the first place to provide a more consistent number for the route Weymouth - London route. Now that the core section of this route (Puddletown - Salisbury) is only of regional importance, having been superseded by the A31, M27 and M3, it would make sense to give the Dorchester - Portland route a more strategically important number. Like you said, A37 would make the most sense as it provides connectivity with the A303, M5 and Bristol.

I agree that the A37 number should be restored to Weymouth, if not even to Portland.

Beware, however, that it is only a good road as far as Yeovil! It trundles through that town to the A303, and is then a really tedious grind up through Somerset, passing through one town/village after another. It's often narrow, and there are several potentially dangerous junctions and speed cameras, not to mention the A39 multiplex where two busy but inadequate roads share the tarmac for almost a mile.

[Richardf]

The A37 only gets really bad north of Shepton Mallet. Up to there it's quite reasonable, being on a roman alignment mostly. Yeovil is a nuisance but can be largely avoided by using the A3088 and A303 up to Ilchester.

[Peter350]

Would there be a case for renumbering the A37 between Yeovil and Bristol?

The A37 could then be diverted over the A3088 to terminate at Cartgate Roundabout, with Bristol traffic signposted to go via the better quality route consisting of A303, A358 and M5.

[Berk]

Would there be a case for renumbering the A37 between Yeovil and Bristol?

The A37 could then be diverted over the A3088 to terminate at Cartgate Roundabout, with Bristol traffic signposted to go via the better quality route consisting of A303, A358 and M5.

What about a number swap, maybe??

There’s definitely a case for ‘old-fashioned main roads’ (2/3 digit S2, narrow lanes, twisty routing especially through lots of towns and villages, lots of dips/visibility issues) being downgraded - in number at least.

I would propose those sort of roads, plus any 2-digit A-Road that runs for less than 50 miles should have to give that number up, or swap with a more suitable replacement.