A39 road

A39 road The A39 road is a primary route in England linking Bath, Bristol, Somerset towns and large stretches of Dorset coastland to ports and towns in Cornwall such as Truro and Falmouth. The corridor connects heritage cities, market towns, coastal resorts and rural hinterlands, intersecting historic routes near Stonehenge approaches, passing the cathedral city of Wells and skirting the fringes of the Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks. It serves as a strategic artery for tourism, freight to the Port of Falmouth and regional commuting between conurbations like Bath and smaller centres such as Barnstaple and Bideford.

Route

The route begins on the western edge of Bath where it meets the A4 road and runs westward toward Bristol suburbs, intersecting with radial routes including the M4 motorway and the A37 road. From the urban fringe it continues through the rural levels of Somerset toward Wells, crossing the Mendip Hills and joining corridors associated with historic transport such as the Great Western Railway alignment near Weston-super-Mare. The A39 then heads southwest across the floodplains adjacent to the River Parrett toward Bridgwater and the gateway to the Quantock Hills before turning toward the north coast, serving resorts like Minehead and reaching the western borders of Exmoor National Park. Proceeding into Devon, the route threads through market towns including Barnstaple and Bideford, where it crosses the estuarine reaches of the River Taw and River Torridge and interfaces with the A361 road and A3124 road. In Cornwall the road adopts a more southerly alignment, skirting the former mining landscapes around Redruth and Camborne, passing near Truro and descending to the peninsular approaches that lead into Falmouth and the coastal villages that form part of the Cornish Riviera.

History

The modern alignment evolved from a network of medieval long-distance tracks, turnpike trusts of the 18th and 19th centuries and 20th-century trunk road rationalisations influenced by the Roads Act 1920 and subsequent Ministry of Transport schemes. Sections adjacent to Bath and Bristol trace older coach roads serving routes to London and Plymouth; turnpike records show trusts operating between Wells and Bridgwater during the Georgian era. Rail competition from the Great Western Railway and the London and South Western Railway in the Victorian period influenced carriageway upgrades and realignments. Mid-20th-century postwar developments tied the route into broader national planning visions embodied in documents circulated by the Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom) and afforestation initiatives by the Forestry Commission altered roadside character near Exmoor. In the late 20th century bypasses were constructed around urban centres including schemes promoted by county councils such as Somerset County Council, Devon County Council, and Cornwall Council to alleviate congestion and improve safety near heritage sites like Wells Cathedral.

Junctions and major intersections

Key interchanges include junctions with the A4 road and the M4 motorway at the eastern end near Bath; connections with the A37 road en route to Yeovil; the convergence with the A358 road and A303 road corridors facilitating cross-country links to Taunton and Wincanton; intersections with the A3124 road and A377 road in Devon that provide access to the South West Coast Path and estuarine ports; and the meeting with the A30 road and A390 road in Cornwall that funnel traffic toward Penzance and Truro. River crossings at River Parrett, River Taw, and River Torridge incorporate notable structures historically overseen by agencies such as the Highways Agency (now National Highways). Urban roundabouts and grade-separated junctions around market towns interact with local networks controlled by county and unitary authorities, and intermodal links with rail stations on routes like the Tarka Line and the Cornish Main Line provide passenger interchange.

Traffic and safety

Traffic volumes vary seasonally, with summer spikes driven by tourism to destinations promoted by bodies such as VisitEngland, VisitBritain, and regional tourist boards for Cornwall and Somerset. Freight movements to the Port of Falmouth and agricultural traffic across Somerset Levels cause mixed vehicle flows. Accident clusters have been subject to analyses by Road Safety Foundation partners and local police forces including Avon and Somerset Police and Devon and Cornwall Police, prompting engineering measures and speed restrictions enforced under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Safety interventions have included improved signing, realignment projects funded by county councils and central grants, and campaigns by groups like Brake (charity) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to tackle casualty rates along rural stretches.

Future developments and upgrades

Planned upgrades are driven by regional transport plans prepared by combined authorities and unitary councils including Bath and North East Somerset Council and Cornwall Council, with proposals ranging from targeted resurfacing and junction improvements to larger bypass schemes coordinated with bodies such as National Highways and the Department for Transport (United Kingdom). Climate resilience projects addressing flood risk on the Somerset Levels and environmental mitigations near designated sites like Exmoor National Park and Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are increasingly integral to proposals. Investment priorities reflect objectives in national strategies overseen by entities such as the National Infrastructure Commission and aim to balance tourism growth championed by VisitEngland with freight efficiency to ports and protection of heritage assets including Wells Cathedral and mining landscapes recognized by UNESCO-related conservation efforts.

Category:Roads in England