A33 road
Encyclopedia
The A33 is a major road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...

 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The road formerly ran from Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

 to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

, but now consists of three disjoint sections:
  • Reading to Basingstoke
    Basingstoke
    Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...

  • The A30 road
    A30 road
    The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...

     south of Basingstoke
    Basingstoke
    Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...

     to just north of Winchester
  • The southern end of the M3 motorway into the centre of Southampton, then along the city's Western Approach road to the roundabout at the southern end of the M271.

Northern Section

The northern section, from Reading to Basingstoke, is mostly a single carriageway road. The dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...

 section near Reading connects with the M4's
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...

 junction 11 and was notorious for congestion. A two-year redevelopment scheme ran from early 2008 until well late 2010. It widen the northern section of the dual carriageway and significantly expanded and improved the motorway junction. The Mereoak roundabout south of the motorway was replaced with two separate junctions with traffic lights.

North of the motorway, the A33 now bypasses most of suburban Reading until it joins Reading's Inner Distribution Road
Inner Distribution Road
Inner Distribution Road or IDR is a dual carriageway ring road that encircles the town centre of Reading, Berkshire, England. It forms part of the A329 that runs from Wentworth in Surrey to Thame in Oxfordshire.- History :...

 where it ends. This section services the Kennet Island
Kennet Island
Kennet Island is a housing development in Reading, Berkshire, England. It is situated halfway between Reading town centre and the M4 motorway....

 residential development, Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...

 and Green Park Business Park

Southern Section

The southern section, formerly one of the two trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...

s to Southampton, has been bypassed by the M3, and as part of the planning approval, the old A33 Winchester bypass (a notorious bottleneck with traffic lights) was torn up and restored to grass. This was subject to direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...

 protests at Twyford Down
Twyford Down
Twyford Down is a small area of ancient chalk downland lying directly to the southeast of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The down's summit, known as Deacon Hill, is towards the north-eastern edge of the area which is renowned for its dramatic rolling scenery, ecologically rich grassland and as a...

. The M3 was completed in 1994.

External links

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