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| A3020 | |
|---|---|
| Name | A3020 |
| Country | UK |
| Route | 3020 |
| Length mi | 12.4 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Reading |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Brighton |
| Counties | Berkshire, Surrey, West Sussex |
| Established | 1922 |
A3020 is a primary A road in southern England linking Reading and Brighton via suburban and semi-rural corridors. The route connects major rail hubs such as Reading railway station and Brighton railway station with arterial roads including the M4 motorway, A3 road, and A23 road. It serves commuter towns like Wokingham, Guildford, Horsham, and Haywards Heath, forming part of regional transport networks used by local authorities including West Sussex County Council and Surrey County Council.
The A3020 begins at a junction with the M4 motorway near Reading station before proceeding southeast through Wokingham and into Surrey, where it passes close to Guildford Cathedral and intersects the A3 trunk road near Cobham. Continuing past Dorking, the route traverses the South Downs National Park and crosses the River Arun near Pulborough. Approaching the coast, the A3020 links with the A23 road north of Brighton and terminates near Brighton Pier, providing access to Brighton and Hove city centre and Brighton Marina.
The alignment includes single-carriageway rural sections near Surrey Hills, dual carriageway bypasses around Horsham and grade-separated junctions at connections with the A24 road and A27 road. Notable structures include a viaduct over the River Mole and a short elevated section adjacent to Gatton Park. Maintenance responsibility is shared between National Highways for trunk sections and local highway authorities for remaining stretches.
Originally designated in the 1922 road numbering scheme, the A3020 replaced older turnpike routes linking market towns such as Arundel and Steyning. Early 20th-century improvements were influenced by traffic patterns established by the Great Western Railway and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Postwar reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s saw bypasses built to relieve town centres like Horsham and Haywards Heath, following guidelines published by the Ministry of Transport.
Upgrades in the 1980s and 1990s included widening near Guildford and junction reconfigurations to connect with the M25 motorway and the M23 motorway. Environmental controversies arose during a proposed realignment close to South Downs Way in the 2000s, drawing objections from Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth. Recent resurfacing and cycling improvements have been coordinated with initiatives by Transport for the South East and local parish councils.
Major junctions along the A3020 include interchanges with the M4 motorway at Reading Services, the A3 road at Guildford Interchange, the M25 motorway near Leatherhead, and the A23 road approaching Brighton. Towns and landmarks served include Reading Minster, Windsor Great Park (visible from parts of the corridor), Box Hill, Leith Hill, Horsham Park, and Preston Park. Transport nodes connected by junctions include Reading railway station, Guildford bus station, Gatwick Airport (via feeder links), and Brighton Marina.
Other notable locations are conservation areas such as Petworth House precincts and heritage sites including Arundel Castle, which have shaped traffic calming and signage schemes. The route crosses multiple waterways including the River Thames tributaries near Reading and the River Adur near Steyning, requiring coordinated flood-risk management with agencies like the Environment Agency.
Traffic volumes on the A3020 vary from heavy commuter flows around Reading and Brighton to lighter rural usage across Surrey Hills. Peak congestion commonly occurs at junctions with the M4 motorway, M25 motorway, and urban approaches to Brighton during summer events such as the Brighton Festival and Brighton Pride. Freight movements use the A3020 as a distributor route to ports and terminals linked to Port of Newhaven and rail freight interchanges near Reading.
Accident hot spots have been identified near older at-grade junctions around Dorking and stretches with high tourist traffic close to Box Hill. Measures including average speed cameras and targeted enforcement by Sussex Police and Thames Valley Police have been implemented. Modal share variations reflect commuter rail connectivity at Haywards Heath railway station and park-and-ride schemes promoted by West Sussex County Council.
Planned developments affecting the A3020 include capacity improvements at the M23 and A23 junctions to enhance links to Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport proposed by regional transport strategies from Transport for the South East. Local proposals by Surrey County Council and West Sussex County Council envisage safety upgrades, cycling corridors aligned with National Cycle Network routes, and ecological mitigation measures near South Downs National Park Authority boundaries.
Major proposals debated in public consultations include a Horsham northern bypass and a package of smart traffic-management systems advocated by National Highways and the Department for Transport. Heritage-sensitive options aim to minimize visual impact near Arundel Castle and Petworth House while improving resilience to extreme weather as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change.