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Hindhead Tunnel Closures - wolfie smith (19th Oct 2014 - 14:32:31) We drove back from a night out yesterday to find the tunnel closed. It's weird that they close both dual carriageways. You would have thought that they would close one, then close the other one the next day. Who can you complain to about this?

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - w (19th Oct 2014 - 16:42:35) It\'s quite often closed completely Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, which is very frustrating if you work north of Hindhead. If there was more signage to say its closed it would be helpful instead of getting to the tunnel to find out it\'s closed. I recall them saying they would only close one side so traffic could use the other side not just shut both sides.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Dawn Hoskins (19th Oct 2014 - 16:59:41) Ferris Cowper has been trying to get to the bottom of this issue for some time. It is almost every weekend and if you work nights or go out late it is a complete disaster on a very regular basis. The argument for closing the old A3 was based almost entirely on the fact that the tunnel would never have to close completely because even in an emergency situation both North and South bound traffic could pass through one tunnel. Too late as far as the old A3 is concerned, but the diversion is also not signed and leaves people in the pitch darkness not knowing where on earth they are. This is a situation which is really negatively impacting Liphook and it really needs to get sorted out and fast.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Amy (19th Oct 2014 - 18:15:27) It's always shut I swear! My partner works in Guildford on mainly nights and he is forever having isues due too it. Coming home from a&e at Guildford at nearly midnight last night took longer than expected with a poorly baby because of it too. Very very annoying

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Miranda (20th Oct 2014 - 10:58:27) I'd heard that the reason they don't put the contraflow in, is that drivers don't pay attention to the red cross to indicate a lane is closed... I use the tunnel all the time and often when a lane is showing closed there always seems to be someone who ignores it. I think that's why that sign has been there for months now on the southbound side, telling drivers to pay attention to the "red cross". I also don't understand why when travelling south we have to come off at Milford when it would be much easier for us living in Liphook to come off at the Thursley turn-off. Hopefully Ferris Cowper will reveal all - thank you. Milford junction to centre of Liphook via A3 (tunnel open) - 10.7 miles 14 mins A286 - 12.5 miles 25 mins Thursley - 13.2 miles 24 mins So on mileage the A286 is best option which is why it is used. Also better roads.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - K (20th Oct 2014 - 11:27:56) The bottom line is why does it have to close so often anyway? It feels like it is/has been most weekend nights forever..... I understand there is maintenance to be done....but this often?

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Rob (21st Oct 2014 - 23:41:42) And tonight the entire A3 was closed from 10:30pm from Guildford. Seriously! What are they doing? Replacing the whole road? This is insane, it took me an extra 40 minutes over the normal time, it isnt like 10:30 is the middle of the night either...

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - sj (22nd Oct 2014 - 18:28:21) Watch BBC South Today tomorrow evening. Their Transport Correspondent, Paul Clifton is doing a piece on this whole sorry episode.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - sj (22nd Oct 2014 - 19:49:58) Correction to earlier. Transport Correspondent, Paul Clifton will be broadcasting re Hindhead Tunnel on the BBC Breakfast 'news where you are' slots on South Today in the morning (Thurs).

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Karen (24th Oct 2014 - 10:38:14) Well....well watching that that got us a straight answer didn't it.....we should be grateful for what we have (the tunnel) and they won't discuss why they keep closing it so often! 45 times - I feel like I have caught every one of them :(

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - wolfie smith (25th Oct 2014 - 09:27:19) I missed it. Were they asking the Highways Agency? I am going to write to them this weekend. I understand that they need to do maintenance. I don't understand why they need to close both tunnels. Surely the Highways Agency can leave one open and make it safe so people stick to the lane.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - a (25th Oct 2014 - 12:01:46) I have heard that the issue is with balfour beaty, the highwyas agency paid for top notch wiring, however bb put it cheap stuff and it keeps tripping out so they are basically having to rewire the whole thing section by section or close it for weeks in whole. so is it the lesser of two evils? and for the record i use it daily and shift worker and get caught by these closures so im also affected. however i massivley agree that they have been shutting it far too often and not putting the diversion through the opposite tunnel. and how hard is it to put a sign at liphook to say tunnel closed!!!!

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - sj (25th Oct 2014 - 17:00:04) You might be able to catch it on I-player. They did ask to speak to the Highways Agency who declined to appear on the programme but issued a statement to the effect that they are working on the air system and lighting to improve 'resilience' ...(If memory serves). The member of the public they spoke to travels from Portsmouth to Wandsworth to work and deliberately switched to working nights to avoid the day time traffic on the A3 only to be caught out by repeated night time closures. IMO if they put the signage regarding tunnel closures e.g.(northbound) ahead of the slip road off to Grayshott that would help so at least drivers could take an alternative route. Putting the red 'x' up past that point only leads to 'trapped traffic' at the tunnel mouth. Ugh

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - w (25th Oct 2014 - 22:10:58) The tunnel is shut yet again. I had to come of at Grayshott, this was around 2130.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Editor (28th Oct 2014 - 09:44:59) This is a clip from BBC South Today - 23rd October 2014 - Paul Clifton reporting on the closures.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - dawn (2nd Nov 2014 - 12:07:22) www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/... Article in 'Get Surrey' makes interesting reading!

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Richard (2nd Nov 2014 - 13:57:13) Perhaps they could route traffic via the A286 as that seems a logical route? One thing I have noticed over the years that when a road is closed the alternative routes never seem to be thought out very well in terms of minimising journey times and disruption to travellers. Eg. Missing obvious secondary routes and giving early enough warning of road closures so people don't have to double back onto diversion routes

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Helen (2nd Nov 2014 - 18:24:51) The A286 is partially closed and is until 11/11/2014 and has been for a month. Not very good planning I think!!.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Phil (2nd Nov 2014 - 19:29:51) Closed to make it "more resilient'? Shoddy work then, and clearly HA not very willing to give the fully story judging by their vague answers. So basically the new(ish), state of the art tunnel isnt up to the job of being a hole in the ground that stays open ... Am not enjoying the regular diversions up through Witley, complete with road works on that road (no markings, raised iron works, pot holes). What genius scheduled road works on the diversion route?!

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Rob (3rd Nov 2014 - 09:04:58) Yes the A286 diversion at 11 o'clock at night on a motorcycle isn't a lot of fun! It does seem insane to be digging up the 286 at the same time. Joined up thinking obviously....

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - Dawn Hoskins (1st Jan 2015 - 15:59:56) The accident today was tragic and I am not trying to divert the sadness and horror that this will inevitably bring for all the family and friends concerned, But does anyone know why the tunnel on the other-side wasn't set up for 2-way traffic as the Highways Agencies told us it would be in such situations? The resulting detour for traffic was 26 miles as they did not do this - in addition it was not well signposted so many people got lost on the way. I really rue the day that the National Trust closed the old A3.

Re: Hindhead Tunnel Closures - jaybee (2nd Jan 2015 - 08:42:50) Dawn It would not have helped. The accident was south of the tunnel.

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