The A32 will be closed for 15 weeks from 27 June to allow for essential flood management work to take place on a 5km stretch South from Farringdon.
The road will be actually be physically closed at this point so the villages of East Tisted, Newton Valance, Chawton and the most of Farringdon will still be accessible
It is expected that visitors to the Farringdon Open Gardens event on Sunday 3rd won't have any major access access problems but we will keep you updated in case there is an unprecedented outbreak of Sunday roadworks!
The so-called ‘Red Zone’ at Farringdon will be manned and accompanied so that specific local vehicle movements can take place, ie to the industrial areas. Traffic will be diverted away from the A32 at the Chawton roundabout in the north and the Meon crossroads in the south.
Local Parish Councils have not been consulted on this issue and are concerned that, due to the very lengthy official diversion, lanes which are unsuitable for any increase in the volume of traffic, and certainly any increase in the size of vehicles, ie HGVs etc, will be used by a significant proportion of diverted traffic instead.
Representatives from East Tisted, Newton Valance, Farringdon and Selborne Parish Councils met with officers from the County Council to raise our concerns about the lack of notice and lack of consultation. Various options were discussed and it has been agreed that proposed signage at the diversion points at the Meon Crossroads and at the Chawton roundabout, and at each end of identified lanes of concern between East Tisted, Newton Valance, Farringdon, and east to the B3006 and Selborne, and west of Farringdon, ie Brightstone Lane, will be strongly worded for local access only and stating that the lanes are not suitable for heavy vehicles.
Due to the number of accidents in normal circumstances, as a matter of urgency a temporary 40mph speed limit was requested to be put into force on B3006 between Selborne and Alton and signage is also needed at the A3 and A31 Alton ends of the B3006 to put drivers off using this road through the village of Selborne (and the dangerous junctions Hall and Gaston Lanes). Any problems will be monitored and variuos Parish Council representatives can report problems and incidents via a direct link to the County Council.
