I left my digs near Southampton at 3.30am Friday morning. M27 and M3 were clear and got on the A34 at Winnal and headed for the A303. So far so good. The A303 looked like a bobsleigh track and was littered with lorries and cars. My little Ford Courier van performed admirably and again I made decent progress.
I got to West Knoyle around 4.30am and found the road blocked with literally hundreds of cars and lorries. Just past West Knoyle the road is very twisty with various up and down gradients and this was the root of the problem.
I didn't turn a wheel another 7.1/2hrs. I had a full tank of fuel, a flask of tea and a stash of mars bars so I was ok.
When the road opened again I was expecting a "free for all" but the police only let about 10 vehicles go at a time.
This was a great call.
Once I got going again the A303 was clear in front of me all the way to Chard where the A30 starts. The A30 was blocked off to prevent any more vehicles getting stranded in the Blackdown Hills, (this is where the Army were called in the help the stranded people), and I took the diversion to Taunton, M5, jtn 25. Had a pit stop at McDonalds and then headed home down M5 to the A30. The A30 is duelled from the M5 to Carland Cross near Truro, although it was mainly only one carriageway was navigable a lot of the way. Most of the stranded vehicles had been cleared on the A30 and I didn't have any other problems.
I got home safely at 4.55pm.
I don't think I'll be venturing far this weekend, may be 50mtrs or so to the Hawkins Arms
I got to West Knoyle around 4.30am and found the road blocked with literally hundreds of cars and lorries. Just past West Knoyle the road is very twisty with various up and down gradients and this was the root of the problem.
I didn't turn a wheel another 7.1/2hrs. I had a full tank of fuel, a flask of tea and a stash of mars bars so I was ok.
When the road opened again I was expecting a "free for all" but the police only let about 10 vehicles go at a time.
This was a great call.
Once I got going again the A303 was clear in front of me all the way to Chard where the A30 starts. The A30 was blocked off to prevent any more vehicles getting stranded in the Blackdown Hills, (this is where the Army were called in the help the stranded people), and I took the diversion to Taunton, M5, jtn 25. Had a pit stop at McDonalds and then headed home down M5 to the A30. The A30 is duelled from the M5 to Carland Cross near Truro, although it was mainly only one carriageway was navigable a lot of the way. Most of the stranded vehicles had been cleared on the A30 and I didn't have any other problems.
I got home safely at 4.55pm.
I don't think I'll be venturing far this weekend, may be 50mtrs or so to the Hawkins Arms
