We regularly travel into and out of Southampton via the A33, which comes into the city via ( what I think is called) The Avenue.
Coming out, to join the M3 at the M27?A33 interchnage, there is a large roundabout then about 500 metres of road with a slip for non-motorway, before the main road becomes the slip into the M3.
Along this road, on the west side ( east side is the Hilton Hotel) there is a Total filling station which is pretty busy as people suss it is the last before the M3.
To exit this station and take the M3, requires in effect driving across the non-motorway slip almost at right angles to exiting traffic, to join the M3 slip.
It seems like an extraordinarily badly-designed junction , since it invites traffic to drive across a fast-moving slip road.
Only yesterday I saw somebody do this as a car took the exit slip , so for a moment one car was side-on to another travelling at probably 60mph. They avoided each other.
Has anyone esle noticed this?
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Not familiar with this particular junction, but having looked on google maps, I can see what you are talking about.
Yes it is potentially dangerous, but no more so than joining a NSL road from a side turning. It needs motorists already on the road to keep a look out for such dangers and those joining to use caution, time their entry correctly and, something that annoys me sooooo much when they don't, use a bit of right foot to quickly match the speed of traffic already using the road.
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I know it... it's only dangerous, in my opinion, if the people coming out of the petrol station don't look.
To be honest the traffic on and off the Avenue is so slow virtually all the time, you'd be unlikely to get any high speed collisions there!
And the other weird bit about that part of the world is that there are two exits off the motorway for the A33, both of which end up in exactly the same place. Why?
Edited by PoloGirl on 01/01/2009 at 12:28
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To be honest the traffic on and off the Avenue is so slow virtually all the time you'd be unlikely to get any high speed collisions there!
Not going outbound PG, that way traffic is normally free flowing and starting to accelerate for the motorway up ahead.
And the other weird bit about that part of the world is that there are two exits off the motorway for the A33 both of which end up in exactly the same place. Why?
Don't know why, but if you take the M27 signed for Portsmouth it is quicker then taking the M27 for Bournmouth which actually has the A33 sign on it (so the preferred way it would seem)
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I know it very well, only about 2 miles from me, and I have to use it quite regularly, the M3 does not actually start until under the bridge, so that stretch is still only a 40mph I believe.
But you are right, it is not the best designed of junctions.
Here is a link to the junction: tinyurl.com/9mckd4
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Crazy bit of road, avoid it like the plague, and it is going IN to Southampton, now why would you want to do that?!
CBG
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Know it very well
My daughter has jsut finished 3 years at Southampton uni and being the devoted father type I have lost count of the number of times I have done that round trip (not too bad about 2&1/2 hour round trip from Kingston....motoring)
I have pulled in and out of that petrol station many times and its only a problem if the driver becomes impatient and tries to pull out in front of cars that have already built up a head of steam, wait a minute or two at most and there is always space to safely pull out, not an ideal bit of planning though
PS the drive in Burger King a couple of miles further into the city does a mean whopper meal!
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Or miss that station altogether! The petrol is (usually) cheaper at the A34 junction, where you can go off the M3, visit 24 hour Tesco's, fill with Shell, and return to the M3 or A34, depending where you are going.
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