Fire is ‘good reason to keep old A3 open’

THE fire that ripped through Thursley common this week is another good reason to keep the old A3 open, an ex-campaigner for the road has said. Major Jeremy Whitaker, ex-Save the Old A3 member, said: "The horrific heath fire at Thursley must surely point to the essential necessity of keeping the old A3 open after the finish of the tunnel, as an obvious escape route for vehicles caught up in an accident inside or a heath fire on the common." The inspector's report, which will reveal the fate of the old A3, is expected at the end of the month. The funding for the A3 Hindhead tunnel was awarded earlier this month. The tunnel, which will run under the National Trust-owned Devil's Punch Bowl, aims to reduce the gridlock traffic which commuters struggle with daily at the Hindhead traffic lights. The lights are the only pinch point for road users travelling from Portsmouth to London. Many residents in both Grayshott and Hindhead hope to keep the old A3 open in order to make local travel and access to the shops easier. Other locals are concerned that in the event of an accident in the tunnel, traffic will need and "escape route". The A3 would also provide access for emergency services. Major Whitaker, said: "The highway authority predicts 408 non-injury accidents or minor breakdowns a year, ie more than one a day." "They claim that rush hour is from 8 am to 9 am. I have personally sat at the Hindhead crossroads and at Farnham station counting traffic at both places. The heaviest traffic is between 7 am and 8 am. One might justifiably conclude that many, if not all, the HA predictions are flawed. "Since there will be no hard shoulder in the tunnel, a mere puncture is a likely hazard and the possible cause of a major accident. "Two years ago, the police informed me that they would have no hesitation in closing one or even both bores to allow access for the emergency service into the tunnel or onto the common in the event of an accident on the heath fire. "To destroy that obvious escape route is lunacy." The National Trust is hoping that the A3 will be closed and the government will then begin landscaping over the old A3. This would open up vast areas of land and turn Hindhead into a gateway for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a hub for recreation and tourism.