A303 Sparkford to Ilchester

[ryzzey]

I drove along a section of the new alignment today and it was absolutely fascinating. Even things like the road signs were 2x the size as before due to it becoming a dual carriageway. You could still see the old alignment and signs in place, I guess they will be removed in time as parts of the old road will become local access roads.

Currently one side of the dual carriageway is open in contraflow whilst they complete the works on the other side.

Looks like they’re now concentrating on the Sparkford end to join it up to the existing dual carriageway and bypass the current roundabout.

Worth a drive along if you’re local or passing nearby. Can actually see it meeting the new opening date of Winter 2024/25 and will be a great improvement.

[SteveA30]

Had a look today, all of a sudden it seems as if they are making rapid progress. Half of the new route is in use now, as an S2.

[SteveA30]

The old A303 becomes a ghost road.......

[SteveA30]

A similar atmosphere to Hindhead when the tunnel fully opened.

[ryzzey]

A similar atmosphere to Hindhead when the tunnel fully opened.

Great photos Steve, many thanks for sharing. I find this whole project fascinating as it is rare to have such a large road project taking place in this part of the country!

[SteveA30]

This will also be an opening of two halves, like Hindhead, when one side opened 2 days before the other. More like a few weeks here though, as no temporary road has been built yet to allow transfer of traffic onto 1 c/way at the Sparkford end. A surveyor thought completion would be well after the summer season. He said a shortage of qualified staff is one factor, something commented on here at times. Weather plays its part as well of course.

[Herned]

Thanks for the photos, gives a good impression of how it's coming along. What's the Sparkford side look like? Presumably a lot further behind?

[SteveA30]

No tarmac yet, although the foundation is down, like the w/bnd side on the half opened section. Surveyor said drainage still had to be done at that end, don't know how long that takes....

[BF2142]

Come on A30 in Cornwall, you gotta beat these guys and open first.

[Gaz909909]

Cracking photos Steve! Many thanks.

[Richardf]

Interesting photos. Thanks for sharing Steve.

Been a long time since we had a project like this down in this part of the country. Apart from the Cornwall A30 ones (which i wasn't able to get to see) I think the A35 Puddletown bypass in the late 1990s was the last one I was able to follow in person. Seemed to be loads before that when I was a kid.

Went on the new bit for the first time on Saturday (coach trip). Have to admit I felt a bit like a kid again trying to see what was happening! Lol. Impressed at the progress on the western section at least.

[FlyingBolt]

The old A303 becomes a ghost road.......

The SPECS camera pictured is part of the temporary speed restrictions due to the roadworks. They're cast into concrete blocks.

There was a pair at the 30mph contraflow section near the Podimore roundabout, and another pair at the 50mph on Camel Hill.

I know a few people who have received tickets for speeding in the 30mph section.

I find interesting that the pair in the 50mph section don't seem active and probably just decoys. There is a lack of infrastructure nearby as it's all appears to run of solar arrays.

It could potentially be that the fixed speed camera is active or the mobile speed camera van is lurking round the corner.

[A303Chris]

Steve cracking photos really has moved on since I’ve last been through there

[solocle]

Photos from this morning:

[Richardf]

Come on A30 in Cornwall, you gotta beat these guys and open first.

They will. Still too much to do on this project.

[AAndy]

Video Eastbound: https://youtu.be/ezcL7cuG93Q
...more to follow.

[Richardf]

Video Eastbound: https://youtu.be/ezcL7cuG93Q
...more to follow.

Good video. Thanks for sharing.

[AAndy]

Video Eastbound: https://youtu.be/ezcL7cuG93Q
...more to follow.

Good video. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks

Here is Westbound: https://youtu.be/liN5O6uA5NY

and the Ilchester/Yeovilton exit when heading East: https://youtu.be/GfIN0VOj8QI

[jackal]

Video Eastbound: https://youtu.be/ezcL7cuG93Q
...more to follow.

Good video. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks

Here is Westbound: https://youtu.be/liN5O6uA5NY

and the Ilchester/Yeovilton exit when heading East: https://youtu.be/GfIN0VOj8QI

Thanks for those. From the sign it seems the B3151 will extend to this LILO (Downhead Junction) via the bridge to the east. This wasn't clear as it could have ended at the LILO on the westbound carriageway (Camel Cross Junction), which is roughly where the B3151 currently meets the A303. So effectively those two junctions are one full access GSJ for the B3151. Why NH have given them two names I don't know.

Also of note is that this junction is built to compact GSJ standards with 2-way sliproads, while the Hazelgrove Junction is built to full GSJ standards. I would guess this is because the A359 but not the B3151 exceed the AADT threshold for compact GSJs (2k iirc).

Plan: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/asse ... rkford.pdf

[Keiji]

Plan: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/asse ... rkford.pdf

I'm surprised that they didn't use a standard dumbbell for the Hazel Grove GSJ.

Is there any terrain/land/geometry-related reason why a standard dumbbell wouldn't have worked here? The layout they've chosen seems pretty unintuitive, especially when trying to get onto the A303(E).

Was this design changed/refined at some point or was this the intended design from the beginning?