View source for A31 road

{{Short description|Major trunk road in southern England}}
{{About|the road in England||A31 (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox road
| country = GBR
| type = A
| route = 31
| map = [[File:A31 road map.png|200px]]
| map_custom = yes
| image = A31 Road at St. Leonards - geograph.org.uk - 37660.jpg
| image_notes = A31 Road at St. Leonards, Dorset, England
| length_mi = 72.6
| section1 = Northeast segment
| length_mi1 = 36.6
| length_ref1 = <ref name="NE">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/51.2360015,-0.5794611/51.050324,-1.302718/@51.0521147,-1.3059978,16z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?entry=ttu|title=Guildford GU1 4UL, UK to Bar End Roundabout, Winchester SO23 8RA, UK|work=[[Google Maps]]|publisher=[[Alphabet Inc.]]|access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>
| direction_a1 = Northeast
| terminus_a1 = {{jct|country=GBR|A|322|name1= }} in [[Guildford]]
| junction1 = {{Jct|country=GBR|A|3}} near Guildford<br>{{Jct|country=GBR|A|331}} near [[Tongham]]<br>{{Jct|country=GBR|A|33}} in Winchester
| direction_b1 = Southwest
| terminus_b1 = {{Jct|country=GBR|M|3|dab1=Great Britain}} in [[Winchester]]
| section2 = Southwest
| length_mi2 = 36.0
| length_ref2 = <ref name="SW">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/50.9436326,-1.5375212/50.7569497,-2.2118574/@50.7568879,-2.2131634,18z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?entry=ttu|title=Netley Marsh, United Kingdom to North St, Bere Regis, Wareham, UK|work=[[Google Maps]]|publisher=[[Alphabet Inc.]]|access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>
| direction_a2 = Northeast
| terminus_a2 = {{Jct|country=GBR|A|36}} near [[Netley Marsh]]
| junction2 = {{Jct|country=GBR|M|27}} in [[Cadnam]]<br>{{Jct|country=GBR|A|338}} in [[Ringwood, Hampshire|Ringwood]]<br>{{Jct|country=GBR|A|348}} in [[West Moors]]<br>{{Jct|country=GBR|A|350}} near [[Sturminster Marshall]]
| direction_b2 = Southwest
| terminus_b2 = {{Jct|country=GBR|A|35}} in [[Bere Regis]]
| counties = [[Surrey]], [[Hampshire]], [[Dorset]]
| destinations = [[Winchester]]<br>[[Farnham]]<br>[[Ringwood, Hampshire|Ringwood]]
| previous_type = A
| previous_route = 30
| next_type = A
| next_route = 32
}}

The '''A31''' is a major [[trunk road]] in southern [[England]] that runs from [[Guildford]] in [[Surrey]] to [[Bere Regis]] in [[Dorset]].
Its best-known section is the [[Hog's Back]], a ridge forming part of the North Downs between Guildford and Farnham in Surrey.

==Route description==
{{unsourced section|date=June 2025}}

Some of the ancient route from London to Winchester is used by the A31.  The road begins near Guildford station at the start of Farnham Road, coming out of the town and passing over the [[A3 road|A3]], then becoming a [[dual carriageway]] running west along the [[Hog's Back]] escarpment of the [[North Downs]]. This dual carriageway section has a speed limit of 60 mph. At [[Tongham]] it leaves the older Hog's Back route to join the A331 and follow a modern bypass round [[Farnham]], rejoining the older route at the roundabout junction with the A325 where it follows Alton Road toward [[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]] which it bypasses, rejoining the older route near Jane Austen's house, then continuing to [[New Alresford|Alresford]] before [[concurrency (road)|joining the route of]] the [[M3 motorway (Great Britain)|M3 motorway]] at its junction on the eastern boundary of [[Winchester, Hampshire|Winchester]].

The old route to Winchester's centre then [[Romsey]] and the [[New Forest National Park|New Forest]] forms two roads: the [[B3404 road|B3404]] and [[A3090 road]]s and is marked for [[cyclist]]s. The west branch of the [[M27 motorway]] – M3 interchange has a flyover junction with the winding westbound A3090 on the western boundary of [[Cadnam]], having passed through the [[conservation area]] village centre, from where the resumed A31 continues as a dualled trunk road through the rest of the [[New Forest]], past [[Ringwood, Hampshire|Ringwood]] and enters [[Dorset]] just before it passes [[Ferndown]] where it resumes single carriageway width.  It passes [[Wimborne Minster]] and by-passes [[Charborough House|Charborough Park]] before terminating at a [[roundabout]] junction with the [[A35 road]] at [[Bere Regis]]. The A35 is not a trunk road east of Bere Regis, but is a continuation of the A31 trunk road to the west, thus the [[Highways Agency]] maintain it.

For most of its Dorset stretch, the A31 between Wimborne Minster and Bere Regis is primarily a single-carriageway road, used by heavy goods vehicles, and as such is relatively slow for a trunk road during busy times of the day.  However the [[River Stour, Dorset|River Stour]], alongside, is one of the most flood-prone rivers in the region; as such, a widened road would accelerate drainage and disrupt views of the valley from [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|Areas of Outstanding Beauty]] on the [[escarpments]] to the north.

==A31 New Forest dual carriageway==
Many sections of the A31 were upgraded to dual carriageway in the 1960s, except for the section of road running through the [[New Forest]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1966/jul/05/road-a31-improvements#S5LV0275P0_19660705_LWA_3|title=ROAD A.31 IMPROVEMENTS|date=5 July 1966|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=21 December 2011}}</ref>

The upgrade of the A31 through the New Forest started in the early 1960s, following two decades of debate. The Government's intention was to create at least one high-speed route to the south coast, while the managers of the forest, the [[Verderer (New Forest)|Verderers]], resisted any further development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1960/jul/27/a31-road#S5CV0627P0_19600727_CWA_85|title=A.31 Road|date=27 July 1960|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=21 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1964/mar/24/new-forest-bill-hl#S5LV0256P0_19640324_HOL_265|title=NEW FOREST BILL [H.L.]|date=24 March 1964|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=21 December 2011}}</ref>

The first section of the A31 to be dualled was the section that the M27 feeds into at Jct1; the westbound carriageway is the original two-way A-road while the eastbound side was laid down nearby. Further developments occurred from Ringwood to [[Picket Post]] near the turn-off for [[Burley, Hampshire|Burley]]. From 1966 to 1972, the remaining sections were completed rapidly due to the construction of the M27 motorway up to Jct 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1976/jul/12/roads-south-hampshire#S5CV0915P0_19760712_CWA_96|title=Roads (South Hampshire)|date=12 July 1976|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=21 December 2011}}</ref>

The Highways Agency declares the New Forest A31 section as being 'an abnormal and heavy load route'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge_compendium/assets/documents/Portfolio/Movement%20of%20Abnormal%20Loads%20at%20Night%20-%201143.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606112435/http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge_compendium/assets/documents/Portfolio/Movement%20of%20Abnormal%20Loads%20at%20Night%20-%201143.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 June 2011 |title=Highways Agency – Movement of Abnormal Indivisible Roads at Night |publisher=Highways Agency |access-date=21 December 2011 }}</ref> The westbound route, particularly, suffers from poor horizontal and vertical alignment due to its original function as an old single carriageway. The Highways Agency's route management strategy (RMS) for the A31 has identified that the westbound carriageway needs realigning at [[Cadnam]] where it undulates rapidly before negotiating a sharp right turn and passes an at-grade U-turn box, though there is no timetable for this at present. There is also a pinch point at Ringwood where the A31 interplexes with the A338; the section of road was widened to four lanes each way for the duration of the A338 interplex (following the upgrade of the Ashley Heath Junction to Bournemouth in the early 1990s) but a short section where westbound A338 traffic joins westbound A31 was left with 2 lanes, and previously the lack of capacity at this section caused safety problems and queues at peak times. Dorset County Council cited relieving this junction as a high priority in the Bournemouth LTP 2006–2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Residents/roads/transport/LTP/default.asp |title=Bournemouth Council LTP 2006-2011 |publisher=Bournemouth Council |access-date=21 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415045417/http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Residents/roads/transport/LTP/default.asp |archive-date=15 April 2009 }}</ref> In December 2014 the Government announced a series of schemes as part of a £15bn investment in transport infrastructure that included widening the Westbound carriageway to 3 lanes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major roads investment in London and the south east|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-roads-investment-in-london-and-the-south-east|publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> Work to widen the westbound section to 3 lanes began in January 2022 in conjunction with a wider scheme improving safety, and replacing two bridges over the River Avon and Bickerley Millstream. The widening scheme was completed in November 2022. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/south-east/a31-ringwood-road-widening/|title=A31 Ringwood road widening|date=26 May 2020 |publisher=National Highways|access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/a31-ringwood-road-widening/#documents/|title=National Highways A31 Ringwood road widening|date=26 May 2020 |publisher=National Highways|access-date=7 December 2022}}</ref>
A Highways Agency review in 2010 records that the collision rate between the A338 Ringwood junction and the Poulner Hill Interchange was 4.5 Personal Injury Collisions (PICs) per 100million vehicle kilometers, whilst the rate for the stretch between Poulner Hill and Picket Post is 11.7 PICs per 100million vehicle kilometers.

==A31 between Bere Regis and Wimborne==
This section of road is single carriageway for its entire length, a long section around Winterborne Zelston has a 40&nbsp;mph speed limit, and occasionally has mobile speed cameras in place.

There are no good overtaking places on this stretch of road due to its narrow, twisty nature. There are three long straight sections of road along [[Charborough House|Charborough Park]], at the end of each straight there is blind bend. Due to the lack of alternative overtaking places traffic use this stretch of road to overtake, but due to the blind bends this sometimes results in head-on collisions between vehicles. The 6&nbsp;ft wall that runs alongside the road has many holes, and repaired sections which have been hit by cars over the years.

The A31 crosses the A350 at a large roundabout. Due to the volume of traffic crossing this roundabout on both the A350 and A31, clear lane markings have been added to ease congestion.

Sections along the A31 have been widened or straightened and junctions enhanced, particularly as the population of the main towns in [[Dorset]] has expanded.

==A3090 road==
{{Infobox road small
|country=GBR
|county=Hampshire
|type=A
|route=3090
|location=Hampshire
|length_mi=19
|header_type=minor
}}
A section of the A31 between Winchester and Ower in Hampshire is now known as the '''A3090'''.

Prior to completion of the M3 past Winchester in 1995, the A3090 ran south west from the [[A33 road|A33]] at [[Kings Worthy]] (where the A33 diverted around the Winchester Bypass) to the centre of Winchester, before continuing along the historic route of the A31 from Winchester to Hursley. Here it ended at a junction with the A31, which at this time, having merged with the by-pass east of Winchester, re-emerged from the A33 at [[Otterbourne]] and ran to Hursley and on along the current route of the A3090.<ref>{{Citation|title=1:50,000 Map Sheet 185 (Winchester)|publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]]|year=1974}}</ref>

A short dual carriageway section starts from the A36 roundabout near [[Ower]] and terminates just before the A27 multiplex south west of [[Romsey]].

==B3404 road==
A short stretch of the original A31 immediately to the east of Winchester is now by-passed and renumbered as the '''B3404'''. The old route commences at a roundabout at Morn Hill, and continues straight across the top of [[Magdalen Hill Down]] before crossing over the [[M3 motorway (Great Britain)|M3 motorway]] and [[A272 road]] on an overbridge and then descending the steep street of Magdalen Hill into the centre of Winchester.<ref name=osem>{{cite map |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/?x=450893&y=128858&z=8&bnd1=CPC&bnd2=&labels=off |title=Election Maps |publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]] |access-date=18 August 2022}}</ref>

==Junction lists==

;North-east segment
{{GBRinttop|length_ref=<ref name="NE"/>}}
{{GBRint
|county=Surrey
|cspan=6
|location=Guildford
|mile=0.0
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|322|A|3|M|25|A|281|to2=yes|city1=Bagshot|city2=London|city3=Horsham}}
|notes=North-eastern terminus
}}
{{GBRint
|type=incomplete
|location_special=[[Guildford]]–[[Compton, Guildford|Compton]] boundary
|mile=2.2
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|3|M|25|A|25|dir1=north-east|to2=yes|city1=London|city2=Esher|city3=Dorking}}
|notes=[[Interchange (road)|Junction]]; north-east exit and south-west entrance
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Wanborough, Surrey|Wanborough]]
|mile=3.6
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|B|3000|A|3|to2=yes|dir2=south-west|city1=Portsmouth|city2=Godalming|location3=[[Normandy, Surrey|Normandy]]|location4=[[Compton, Guildford|Compton]]|location5=[[Puttenham, Surrey|Puttenham]]|location6=[[Wanborough, Surrey|Wanborough]]}}
|notes=Junction
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Tongham]]–[[Farnham]] boundary
|mile=6.9
|mile2=7.5
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|331|M|3|A|3011|A|324|A|323|dir1=north|to2=yes|dab2=Great Britain|city1=Camberley|location2=[[Farnborough, Hampshire|Farnborough]]|city3=Woking|city4=Aldershot}}
|notes=Junction; southern terminus of A331
}}
{{GBRint
|type=concur
|location=Farnham
|lspan=2
|mile=8.8
|mile2=9.2
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|325|road|Guildford Road|A|3016|dir1=north-east|to3=yes|city1=Odiham|city2=Badshot Lea|location3=[[Farnham|Central Farnham]]}}
|notes=North-eastern terminus of A325 concurrency
}}
{{GBRint
|type=concur
|mile=10.8
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|325|road|West Street|dir1=south-west|city1=Petersfield|city2=Wrecclesham|location3=[[Farnham|Central Farnham]]}}
|notes=South-western terminus of A325 concurrency
}}
{{GBRint
|type=concur
|county=Hampshire
|cspan=5
|location_special=[[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]]–[[Chawton]] boundary
|mile=19.8
|mile2=20.2
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|339|B|3006|B|3349|dir1=north|to3=yes|city1=Basingstoke|location2=[[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]]|location3=[[Liss, Hampshire|Liss]]|city4=Selborne|city5=Odiham}}
|notes=[[Interchange (road)|Junction]]; southern terminus of A339
}}
{{GBRint
|location=Chawton
|mile=20.8
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|32|road|Winchester Road / Northfield Lane|A|272|dir1=south|name1=Gosport Road|to3=yes|city1=Fareham|city2=Petersfield|city3=Droxford|city4=West Meon|location5=[[Farringdon, Hampshire|Farringdon]]|city6=Chawton}}
|notes=Northern terminus of A32
}}
{{GBRint
|type=incomplete
|location=Chilcomb
|mile=34.4
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|272|dir1=east|city1=Petersfield|city2=Bramdean|location3=[[Cheriton, Hampshire|Cheriton]]}}
|notes=No access from A31 north-east to A272 east; north-eastern terminus of A272 concurrency
}}
{{GBRint
|location=Winchester
|lspan=2
|mile=35.7
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|33|M|3|A|34|A|303|A|30|dir1=north|to2=yes|dab2=Great Britain|city1=Basingstoke|location2=[[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]]|location3=[[Andover, Hampshire|Andover]]|city4=Salisbury|location5=[[Winnall, Hampshire|Winnall]]|city6=Kings Worthy|location7=[[Stockbridge, Hampshire|Stockbridge]]}}
|notes=Southern terminus of A33
}}
{{GBRint
|type=incomplete
|mile=36.3
|mile2=36.6
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|M|3|M|27|dir1=south|to2=yes|dab1=Great Britain|city1=Southampton|city2=Portsmouth|city3=Bournemouth|city4=Eastleigh|city5=Romsey}}<br>Bar End Road / Bull Drove – [[Winchester]] city centre
|notes=Western terminus of eastern segment; no access to M3 north or from M3 south to A31; south-western terminus of A272 concurrency 
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=incomplete, concur}}

;South-west segment
{{GBRinttop|length_ref=<ref name="SW"/>}}
{{GBRint
|county=Hampshire
|cspan=6
|location=Netley Marsh
|mile=0.0
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|36|A|3090|name1=Salisbury Road|to2=yes|city1=Salisbury|location2=[[Totton and Eling|Calmore, Totton]]|city3=Romsey}}
|notes=North-eastern terminus
}}
{{GBRint
|location=Cadnam
|mile=2.5
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|336|A|337|dir1=east|dir2=south|city1=Cadnam|location2=[[Totton and Eling|Totton]]|location3=[[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]]|city4=Lymington|location5=[[Bartley, Hampshire|Bartley]]|city6=Netley Marsh|city7=Minstead}}
|notes=Western terminus of A336; northern terminus of A337
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Copythorne]]–[[Minstead]] boundary
|mile=2.9
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|M|27|B|3079|dir1=east|city1=London|city2=Southampton|city3=Winchester|location4=[[Brook, Test Valley|Brook]]|city5=Bramshaw|city6=Fordingbridge|city7=Fritham|location8=[[Bolderwood, Hampshire|Bolderwood]]|location9=[[Linwood, Hampshire|Linwood]]}}
|notes=Western terminus of A27; A27 junction 1
}}
{{GBRint
|location=Picket Post
|mile=10.6
|mile2=11.0
|road=[[Burley, Hampshire|Burley]]
|notes=[[Interchange (road)|Junction]]
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Ringwood, Hampshire|Ringwood]]
|lspan=2
|mile=12.4
|mile2=12.8
|road=[[Hightown, Hampshire|Hightown]], [[Poulner]], [[Crow, Hampshire|Crow]]
|notes=Junction; Crow signed north-east only
}}
{{GBRint
|type=concur
|mile=13.4
|mile2=13.8
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|338|B|3347|dir1=north|city1=Salisbury|city2=Fordingbridge|location3=[[Ringwood, Hampshire|Ringwood]]}}
|notes=North-eastern terminus of A338 concurrency
}}
{{GBRint
|county=Dorset
|cspan=7
|location_special=[[St Ives, Dorset|St Ives]]
|lspan=2
|mile=14.2
|mile2=14.5
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|B|3081|city1=Verwood}}
|notes=Junction
}}
{{GBRint
|type=concur
|mile=14.5
|mile2=15.1
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|338|B|3073|dir1=south|to2=yes|city1=Bournemouth|location2=[[Christchurch, Dorset|Christchurch]]|city3=Ashley Heath|city4=Three Legged Cross|location5=[[Horton, Dorset|Horton]]}}
|notes=To B3073 signed eastbound only; junction; south-western terminus of A338 concurrency
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Ferndown]]–[[West Moors]] boundary
|lspan=2
|mile=19.0
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|348|A|347|dir1=south-west|to2=yes|city1=Bournemouth|city2=Ferndown|city3=West Parley|location4=[[Ferndown|Longham]]|extra=airport}}
|notes=North-eastern terminus of A348
}}
{{GBRint
|mile=19.6
|mile2=19.9
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|B|3072|city1=West Moors|city2=Verwood|city3=Ferndown}}
|notes=[[Interchange (road)|Junction]]
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Broadstone, Dorset|Broadstone]]
|mile=24.5
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|349|road|Merley House Lane|B|3073|A|341|dir1=south|to3=yes|city1=Poole|city2=Bournemouth|location3=[[Broadstone, Dorset|Broadstone]]|city4=Merley|city5=Canford Magna}}
|notes=Northern terminus of A349
}}
{{GBRint
|location_special=[[Sturminster Marshall]]–[[Lytchett Matravers]] boundary
|mile=28.8
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|350|name1=Poole Road|city1=Poole|city2=Bournemouth|location3=[[Wareham, Dorset|Wareham]]|location4=[[Blandford Forum|Blandford]]|city5=Lytchett Matravers|location6=[[Upton, Dorset|Upton]]|city7=Sturminster Marshall}}
|notes=Sturminster Marshall signed north-east only
}}
{{GBRint
|location=Bere Regis
|mile=36.0
|road={{Jct|country=GBR|A|35|road|North Street|city1=Poole|city2=Bournemouth|location3=[[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]]|location4=[[Wool, Dorset|Wool]]|city5=Bere Regis|location6=[[Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth]]|city7=Puddletown|city8=Tolpuddle}}
|notes=South-western terminus
}}
{{jctbtm}}

==External links==
{{GeoGroup}}
* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/?title=A31 SABRE – A31]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090608133353/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/6244.aspx Highways Agency A31 Route Management Strategy]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{GB A road zone 3}}
{{Motorways and Trunk Roads in England|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:3-0031}}
[[Category:Roads in England]]
[[Category:Roads in Dorset]]
[[Category:Roads in Hampshire]]
[[Category:Roads in Surrey]]