Morning everyone
As I write this I am sat in sunny France, eating a pain au chocolate and thinking I should driving through the tunnel!!
I will try and upload some photos when i get sent them but I have very limited internet connection!
Here is a photo of where I am just to make you all jealous!!!
Keep on diggin...............
Posts
43 comments:
Nice one gummy. Stay where you are, there are just longer queues on the A3. Hopefully all will be resolved once the northbound bore is open!
Having just been there this morning, it's still shit and the tailbacks at both ends are even worse than usual. South bound tunnel still restricted to one line at 40 mph, north bound not open. I rerouted via "Hassle"mere in the end..
BBC South Today was almost entirely about the tunnel, with Sally Taylor presenting from the northbound portal. They showed a short clip of you (at least, I suppose it was you) sitting at the PC and mentioned that you're away. Did you set the recorder up before you went?
I came south from Dorking to Portsmouth this morning at about 06.50, both southbound lanes open through tunnel with no speed restriction.
First time thru and I thought it was stunning. From first viewing I think BB have done a fantastic job. Thanks also to Gummy for a great blog that has helped get me thru 4 years of roadworks commuting.
Gummy. How can I send you the video?
Here's a video of the tunnel at 10.55 on Wednesday. Hope you enjoy it
http://youtu.be/dMNS4hczORM
Speed restrictions lifted from Thursley right through now, so both lanes open southbound and its 70mph all the way through. Northbound is as it was but that will change in the coming days.
Just driven from Guildford to Hindhead. Tne southbound road is fully open, both lanes, NO CONES and a 70mph limit through the tunnel. So a clear run south for tonight's rush hour!
Looks like they're almost ready with the northbound too - the cut-in works seem to be complete, the barriers are all up and I think all the plant has been removed from the new northbound road. Maybe the suggested 5am Friday morning will happen.
Happy Days!
It was very noticeable on the southbound A3 near Waterlooville, at about 3:40pm, how heavy the traffic was - I guess that the stopper had been pulled and the flood of traffic let go.
Google maps still showing slow traffic on Southbound north of the tunnel
I commute from Leatherhead to lee-on-solent, got through the tunnel for the first time tonight, omg its everything i ever dreamed of, mad up loads of time. Then got stuck in fareham cos i got there early.
Any chance of HA moving that digging equipment a bit further south?
Hi folks,
Great comments and videos!!!
I am unable to upload anything due to the crap internet connection I have!
I will upload everything when i get back next weekend.
Keep on driving.......
Gummy
First americans through the tunnel this morning!! Woking to Portsmouth. Southbound tunnel vey nice!! Fast open modern!! When is the Northbound opening? By the time we drive home tonight???
Went through the southbound tunnel last night at about 10.30pm. Amazing, modern, speed limit was 70. Followed a police car through, think they were checking it out as well!
I just been among the first hundred or so vehicles to drive through the northbound tunnel!! Very exciting!!!
Congratulations! I'm looking forward to the run home tonight. I've brought my camera so the Northbound video will be posted this evening.
I was a bit too early for it this morning, so I did take the 'opportunity' to go North one last time down the old road, before u-turning at the bottom and hooning it back up the old road to Hindhead!!! lovely and empty, nice and fast. And I video'd that too.
Are there any delays on the northbound route according to the Traffic web site there will be delays until Saturday afternoon and the Petersfield Herald reported that the tunnel will not be fully open until Sunday.
All open now - the northbound tunnel opened about 11.30 I think. No cones or queues from Liphook up to Hindhead!
A quiet weekend for Hindhead!!
The northbound tunnel is now open, it opened about an hour ago.
I have just returned from my first run through southbound. Had to drop the Bentley off at a garage in Liphook. It took just 20 mins from Merrow to Liphook. The northbound bore had not opened at 1000hrs, but there were lots of hivi men and flashing lights about so I assume all is now done. I had to come home on foot/train/foot/bus/foot and it took 2 1/2 hours. So much for public transport eh!!
I got on my scooter to leave Petersfield for London at about 11 this morning. I got to the front of the queue of traffic to find the policemen getting into their cars to lead us through for the first time. *I was third!*
I see a cyclist either yesterday evening or the day before heading south towards the tunnel on the new section of road....
A hindhead resident said...."A quiet weekend for Hindhead!!"
Did they not tell you the Portsmouth chapter of the Hell's angels are holding a motorbike rally in the national trust carpark Saturday/Sunday expected 2000plus motorbikes to turn up...??
Only kidding... you residents of Hindhead deserve the peace and quite at last... its been a long time coming enjoy!
Bike Rally in Hindhead - a great opportunity to become the Sturgis of the UK
Perhaps it is somewhat churlish to say this, but looking at Mr Gummybear's holiday home, one wonders if he is camped out in a French wood with Swampy objecting to the construction of the new A937 peage!
David Taylor, did you see a Caterham 7 going through the Southbound tunnel last night about 22:30. If so that was me! I got a nice night time video of it!
I was walking up on Hindhead above the old road when suddenly it went quiet...no more traffic....ever!! What a transformation, you could even hear the birds singing and walkers in the Punchbowl talking.
Total chaos though by the NT cafe due to woefully inadequate signs at the crossroads telling people the road is closed and they need to head in the opposite direction to go north.
Hi all. Very happy to say one of the first to ride through northbound tunnel this am at 11.30 on my bike, what an amazing feeling after sitting at the Hazel Grove slip with about a dozen other bikers waiting for the rolling road block to come past before they would let us down the slip. Missed the southbound opening by about 10 mins DOGH, Hears to many years of happy A3 motoring and a big up to you Dave, this is my first contribution to your blog but have been reading it with great interest since you started it back in 08. Keep it going mate. By the way went through both ways about 20 mins ago, no cones, no speed restrictions, Oh happy days!!!!!
Congratulations to everyone in Hindhead! Enjoy the peace and quiet! I'm looking forward to exploring your peaceful beauty spots now.
What's happening with the traffic lights? If I'm driving from Farnham to Haslemere, will I still need to sit there for ever and a day waiting for *NOTHING* to go by?
Hindhead traffic lights will shortly be removed and replaced by (two?) mini-roundabouts - so hopefully no delays there any longer.
I guess the lights will be a bit confused with east-west traffic but no north-south until they are able to get started on the works there!
ps It's so quiet for a Friday afternoon in Hindhead - almost eerie!
Yeah I quite agree with you, I went to the lights and turned right down to Haslemere at about 2 o'clock. I've seen more traffic at 7 am on a sunday morning, Very wierd!!!
Coming through tomorrow on my run from Peckham to Pompey. Really looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Mostly travel down at weekends to see family so not sure I will notice that much difference. Historic day though. Been getting snarled up there since my first drive to London in 1990!
Cannot wait!
morning all
Glad your all loving the tunnel and it's making Hindhead a much quieter place to be!
I spoke to my mum last night who said it was strange not hearing the traffic.
Good news i'm home next friday so have lots to put on here!
Keep on driving..........
LOVE TUNNEL... when i was at school it was a euphemism for a ladies private parts, and at the age of 15 I could not stop thinking about it. Now im 35 I still cant stop thinking about it but for completley diiferent reasons. I just love that tunnel.
So all in all £371,000,000 well spent then.
Been through, both ends. Brilliant, no more nightmares queueing through Hindhead. Any particular reason why they've chosen to go with average speed cameras instead of the more traditional type though?
Yes, I'd also consider £371m well spent. Now can we get rid of the silly Ham Barn roundabout at Liss with a proper motorway junction?
Can't understand why they didn't do the Ham Barn roundabout at the same time they were doing all the bridge/underpass works for the tunnel.
It will be worse if they do works here now as the tunnel is going to draw more traffic to the A3, so we will be back to Hindhead style delays whilst they sort it out.
Can see the accident rate increasing on the roundabout as people that are not used to it go round too fast - it has to be one of the worst roundabouts on a major road that I have come across.
Came through Northbound this am for the first time - great stuff and then bam..! An accident at Guildlford meant time saved was wasted...such is life :(
323i: It's (sadly) well proven that whilst standard speed cameras are effective for controlling speed in a very localised area (ie just at the camera), Specs or average speed cameras have a very, very high level of compliance for the entire length they cover. Still, Specs set to 70mph isn't too bad, really.
Hoping to have my first drive through later tonight, am rather excited :P
Pookeymonkey - they did review the Ham Barn roundabout last December. Thank goodness they decided to leave it as it is, otherwise we may well have had traffic lights:
http://www.petersfieldpost.co.uk/news/no_changes_for_a3_roundabout_1_2215626
It's amazing that they spent £371m to elimianate a set of traffic lights, only to consider installing a srt a few miles down the road!
CB
You can't expect too much intelligent thought in the time span.
I mean it's taken 30 years of thought to get the damned tunnel, now to expect a bridge instead of a roundabout is too much to ask.
Besides, you've got to feel for the poor little HA minion who'll miss their dividend from the traffic light manufacturer by failing to get ANOTHER set of multi-coloured misery makers installed on a major highway.
What was the tunnel North Bound shut for Tuesday 2nd Aug.
I think it failed it's First Test no warning Prior to the turn off for Hinhead So stuck between this junction and the Red Lights
See Portsmouth News for details
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/faulty_sign_causes_delays_to_motorists_using_hindhead_tunnel_1_2925289
Sounds like a bug?
The lack of precision - how long was it shut etc - is typical of the newspaper view of reporting news
Post a Comment