A3 road

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The A3 is a major road in southern England that runs from central London to Portsmouth. It covers about 70 miles (roughly 110–116 km) and is mostly a fast, dual carriageway trunk road managed by National Highways. The route passes close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield before reaching Waterlooville and finally Portsmouth.

Starting in London, the A3 travels southwest from the City, through busy urban streets with bus lanes and traffic signals, then heads out of the capital and becomes a fast through route. It bypasses Kingston, Guildford and other towns and continues as a high-capacity road toward the south.

A notable feature is the Hindhead Tunnel (opened in 2011), which forms part of the Hindhead bypass to avoid the Devil’s Punch Bowl. The road also includes a short motorway-standard section known as the A3(M) and a major interchange with the M25 at Wisley. In the southern part, the A3 becomes a mix of dual and single carriageways as it approaches Portsmouth, passing towns such as Waterlooville.

The northern end of the route begins at King William Street in the City of London, while the southern end ends in Portsmouth at Broad Street near the harbour, with the road continuing as Northern Parade along Portsea Island and connecting to the A2030.

Cycle routes run alongside parts of the A3, including Cycle Superhighway 7 in London and National Cycle Routes 22 and 222 on various sections of the route.