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A303

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A303
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (344)
From:  Popham (SU552447)
To:  Upottery (ST218075)
Distance:  95 miles (152.9 km)
Meets:  M3, A30, A34, B3048, A3093, A3057, A343, B3042, A342, A338, B3084, A3028, A345, A360, B3083, A36, A350, B3089, B3095, B3092, B3081, A371, A359, B3151, A37, A372, A3088, B3165, A356, A358, B3168, B3170
Former Number(s):  A30, B3049, A342, A344, A3036, A372, A358
Primary Destinations
Highway Authorities

National Highways

Traditional Counties

Devon • Dorset • Hampshire • Somerset • Wiltshire

Route outline (key)
A303 Popham – Upottery
This article is about the current A303, which is a trunk road from the M3 at Popham to a junction with the A30 near Honiton.
For the original route in London, a short road between Vauxhall and Wandsworth, replaced by the A3036, see A303 (Vauxhall - Wandsworth)
.
The Amesbury bypass in 2007

Introduction

The A303 is the middle section of the London to Exeter trunk road. It takes a more northerly route across Salisbury plain than the A30 and is a mixture of high quality D2 dual carriageway, and congested single carriageway. Passing places like Andover, Stonehenge, and Wincanton, it also carries much of the summer seasonal traffic between London and the south-west.

Route

Main Article: A303/Route

The A303 has a variety of standards along its route. From a high quality grade-separated dual-carriageway in the east, it ends up as a winding single-carriageway road in the west, with various standards in between. The route description examines them.

History

Main Article: A303/History

The current A303 began life in 1933, cobbling together various different roads to make a coherent through route. Made up of lots of various roads, some dating to 2000 BC in the Stonehenge area, it has had a vast array of improvements.

The London-Penzance trunk road was diverted along the the full length of the then A303, from Micheldever to Devonshire House, in April 1958. When the M3 opened to Popham in 1971, the first few miles of the westward route, between there and Micheldever, remained A30, but were later renumbererd as part of the A303, making the A30 discontinuous.


Future

Expressway proposals

In December 2017, it was proposed that the A303 in England could be upgraded to an expressway as part of the proposals to introduce a new type of road network. The proposal includes different expressway types with an aspiration that the highest quality expressways will be given motorway designation and an Ax(M) number. (Source: Highways England Strategic Road Network Initial Report)

Notable locations and improvements

Bullington Cross

The westbound Fork sign
Main Article: Bullington Cross

The first major junction for the A303 after the M3 going West, Bullington Cross is a major junction. This is where the A30 leaves the A303 behind and is also the junction for the A34.

Stonehenge Bottom

The junction in 2010
Main Article: Stonehenge Bottom

Stonehenge Bottom was the junction for Stonehenge and the A344. It was very busy throughout the year, especially around the time of the Solstice. The junction was closed in June 2013.

Podimore Roundabout

The junction in a wet April 2008
Main Article: Podimore Roundabout

Podimore Roundabout links the A303, the A37 and A372 near Ilchester. It is flared for future grade separation.


Opening Dates

Year Section Notes
1957 Watergore Lopen Head – Watergore improvement. Later bypassed by Ilminster bypass and declassified.
1969 Amesbury Bypass The 3 mile dual carriageway from 0.3 mile east of Stonehenge Bottom junction to 0.4 mile east of Double Hedges Junction was due to open on 5 September 1969. Cost £1 million.
1969 Andover Bypass The 4 mile dual carriageway opened on 11 September 1969. Cost £2 million.
1975 Wylye Bypass Completed in 1975/76 per Wiltshire County Council footpath appeal minutes of 15 October 2008.
1976 Marsh Diversion The 0.9 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.6 million.
1976 Mere Bypass The 2.1 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in July 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. Outturn works cost £1.7 million.
1977 Wincanton and Holton Bypass The 4.1 mile D2 dual carriageway from Witherleigh Farm, Dancing Cross to Leigh Common also bypassed Bayford. The scheme included a link road between A357 at Anchor Corner and A371 at Holbrook, forming a western bypass, and a connection to Lawrence Hill. The 2 mile first stage west of the town's Hawkers Bridge Interchange was opened on 26 January 1977. The east section and the bypass was opened on 8 March 1977 per a South West Film and Television Archive entry. Contractor was Mears Construction, tender cost £5.05 million, outturn works cost £6.3 million.
1977 Ilchester Bypass The 4.3 mile D2 road opened on 28 March 1977. It was D2 dual carriageway except for 0.7 mile at the eastern end where the former A372 was used. Contractor was Cementation Construction, tender price £5,481,000, outturn works cost £7.1 million. Part was A37.
1983 Bullington - Popham The 4.4 mile D2 online dualling (with deviation north of Micheldever) from 0.4 mile east of Bullington Cross to 0.4 mile east of Steventon Warren Lane was completed in June 1983 per the Policy for Roads in England: 1983 Report. Contractor was Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd., tender price £4.3 million, outturn works cost £5.4 million. The section east of Micheldever Interchange was originally A30 and later renumbered A303.
1985 Weyhill Bypass Opened 30 Oct according to a SABRE Forum post by someone who lived there at the time.
1988 Ilminster Bypass Horton to South Petherton, also bypass of Horton, Seavington and Watergore. Officially opened on 19 July 1988 by Peter Bottomley, Minister for Roads and Traffic. A final section was opened on 25 August 1988 by Councillor Mrs Clarke, Chairperson of South Somerset District Council. S2+1. Contractor was A. F. Budge.
1988 Amesbury - Thruxton The 6 mile D2 dual carriageway was completed in October 1988 (per the Trunk Roads, England, into the 1990's Report). Outturn works cost £11.2 million.
1989 Sparkford Bypass The 3 mile dual carriageway was opened on 25 October 1989 by Robert Atkins, Transport Minister. Contractor was Davies Middleton & Davies Ltd., contract price £7,654,577.
1990 Ilchester - South Petherton 4.5 mile online dualling. Opened on 13 December 1990 by Christopher Chope, Roads and Traffic Minister. Contractor was Wimpey, contract cost £12.8 million, outturn cost £24.6 million.
1991 Stockton Wood - Chicklade Bottom Improvement completed in December 1991 per Hansard. Tender cost £1.3 million, outturn cost £1.7 million.
1992 Bourton and Zeals Bypass Mere - Wincanton Improvement. Completed in July 1992 per Hansard. Tender cost £15.3 million, outturn cost £19.4 million. Dual carriageway.
2024 Sparkford – Ilchester Dualling The 3.5 mile dualled section from Camel Cross to north-east of Hazelgrove Roundabout, including a bypass of that roundabout, was opened on 4 November 2024.

Links

Roads UK

National Highways


Videos

A303

All of the A303 westbound, sped up

Watch video > >



A303
Projects
Junctions
Barton Stacey Interchange • Bullington Cross • Camel Cross • Cartgate Roundabout • Chapel Cross • Countess Roundabout • Deptford Interchange • Devonshire House • Double Hedges Junction • Eagle Cross • Folly Bottom Junction • Furzehedge Junction • Hayes End Roundabout • Hazelgrove Roundabout • Hundred Acre Interchange • Ilchester Mead • Longbarrow Roundabout • Longparish Interchange • Marsh Junction • Mere Junction (Wiltshire) • Micheldever Interchange • Overton Road Interchange • Parkhouse Cross Interchange • Picket Twenty Interchange • Podimore Roundabout • Popham Interchange • Quarley Junction • Salisbury Road Interchange • Southfields Roundabout • Stonehenge Bottom • Stopgate Cross • Thruxton Village Junction • Tinkers Hill Junction • Wincanton Junction • Winchester Road Interchange
Services
Crossings
Roads
Places
Miscellaneous
Related Pictures
View gallery (344)
Multiplex - Coppermine - 20758.jpgA303 - Downhill - Coppermine - 19911.jpgBoth A303's - Coppermine - 14054.jpgStone Henge 031.JPGOld A303 in Somerset 010.JPG
Other nearby roads
Andover
A342 • A343 • A344 • A3057 • A3093 • B3042 (Hampshire) • B3049 (Bullington Cross - Andover) • B3050 • B3400 • B3402 • B3420 • Harroway • RM4
Stonehenge
Ilminster
Honiton
A30 • A30/Sandbox • A35 • A373 • A375 • T8 (Britain) • T37 (Britain)
A300-A399
A300 • A301 • A302 • A303 • A304 • A305 • A306 • A307 • A308 • A309 • A310 • A311 • A312 • A313 • A314 • A315 • A316 • A317 • A318 • A319
A320 • A321 • A322 • A323 • A324 • A325 • A326 • A327 • A328 • A329 • A330 • A331 • A332 • A333 • A334 • A335 • A336 • A337 • A338 • A339
A340 • A341 • A342 • A343 • A344 • A345 • A346 • A347 • A348 • A349 • A350 • A351 • A352 • A353 • A354 • A355 • A356 • A357 • A358 • A359
A360 • A361 • A362 • A363 • A364 • A365 • A366 • A367 • A368 • A369 • A370 • A371 • A372 • A373 • A374 • A375 • A376 • A377 • A378 • A379
A380 • A381 • A382 • A383 • A384 • A385 • A386 • A387 • A388 • A389 • A390 • A391 • A392 • A393 • A394 • A395 • A396 • A397 • A398 • A399
St Peters Way  Motorways: A308(M) • A329(M)  Earlier Itineraries: A303 • A326 • A331 • A333 • A341 • A346 • A355 • A364 • A369 • A374 • A378 • A392 • A397

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