A3025
A3025 | ||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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From: | Bursledon (SU478109) | |||
To: | Southampton (SU425112) | |||
Distance: | 3.8 miles (6.1 km) | |||
Meets: | A27, A3024, B3397, B3033, B3038, B3039, A33 | |||
Primary Destinations | ||||
Highway Authorities | ||||
Traditional Counties | ||||
Route outline (key) | ||||
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The A3025 is the shortest route between the M27 and Southampton city centre. However, traffic is directed via the A3024, possibly because the A3025 crosses a toll bridge.
The road starts on the A27 and A3024 at the Windhover Roundabout, although only the A3024 is signposted at the nearby M27 junction. The road heads south and, after only a short distance, TOTSOs right, with the B3397 continuing ahead.
From here the road takes a straight alignment out of Bursledon, meeting the B3033 at a roundabout, and then diving under a railway bridge with a set of traffic lights. The road continues to be straight, until it crosses a roundabout and then passes under a toll booth. 50p or more later (although there's a free diversion for buses) we find ourselves crossing the fairly impressive (on a small scale) Itchen Bridge, with regular reminders that we can call the Samaritans.
The road rolls back to earth and crosses the B3038 and B3039 at a roundabout. It then goes on a much smaller bridge over the former docks railway line, eventually turning on to the A33 on Southampton's City Centre Loop.
History
In 1922 the A3025 only existed west of the Itchen. The Itchen Bridge had not yet been built and, although traffic could cross the river via a floating bridge, the road number did not. In 1945 the road was extended across the ferry and then along its current route to meet the A3024. The ferry was replaced with the current bridge in 1977.