M3 motorway
Length	58.6 miles (94.3 km)
Direction	Northeast - Southwest
Start	London Sunbury-on-Thames
Primary destinations	Basingstoke Winchester
End	Southampton
Construction dates	1971 - 1995
Motorways joined	2 - M25 motorway 14 - M27 motorway
Euroroute(s)	E 05

M3 is also the name of the motorway that connects the capitals of two largest states in Europe, Moscow and Kiev.

There are also M3 motorways in Northern Ireland, in the Republic of Ireland and in Hungary.

The M3 motorway is a motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England. It runs from Sunbury-on-Thames to Southampton and is approximately 59 miles (94 km) long. The motorway was built to relieve traffic on the A30 and A33, the congested single carriageway trunk roads that previously carried the traffic. Part of this motorway forms a section of European route E5 — these are not signed in the United Kingdom. Image File history File links UK_motorway_M3. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Sunbury-on-Thames is a leafy suburb in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey in the United Kingdom. ... The colour scheme used to denote a primary route. ... Basingstoke railway station, as seen from Alençon Link. ... Winchester is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40,000 within a 3 mile radius of its centre. ... Southampton is the largest city[1] on the south coast of England. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_M25. ... The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_M27. ... Looking down onto the M27 from Portsdown Hill. ... European Route Sign The international E-road network is a network of roads in Europe, numbered E1 and up. ... The European route E5 (or more correctly the E05) is part of the United Nations International E-road network. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 474 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (790 × 998 pixel, file size: 112 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Ukraine Motorway and other trunk roads of Russia. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... The M3 is a short section of urban motorway 1. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Surry. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Sunbury-on-Thames is a leafy suburb in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey in the United Kingdom. ... Southampton is the largest city[1] on the south coast of England. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management KM programming language KM Culture, Korean Movie Maker. ... The A30 is an old trunk road (main road) which runs from central London to Lands End, the westernmost point of the mainland of England (though not of mainland Great Britain), and is sometimes called the Great South West Road. ... The A33 is a major road in England. ... The European route E5 (or more correctly the E05) is part of the United Nations International E-road network. ...

Route

The M3 motorway at East Stratton

Southern end of the M3 motorway, meeting the A33 at Southampton

The motorway starts as a dual three lane route at Sunbury on Thames on the edge of South West London. It heads south west to the north of Chertsey and passes under the M25 motorway, before continuing in a more westerly direction south of Camberley. From junction 4 it runs across the northern suburbs of Farnborough it enters a more rural setting, crosses the South Western Railway Main Line passes close to the Basingstoke Canal before reaching the outskirts of Basingstoke. Turning south west again, it runs across the south of Basingstoke, before reaching junction 8, where lane 1 becomes the A303 road and the motorway continues as a dual two lane road through open countryside and Micheldever Wood until it reaches the north of Winchester. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The A33 is a major road in England. ... Southampton is the largest city[1] on the south coast of England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Map of Chertsey (from OpenStreetMap) Chertsey Bridge The Old Town Hall Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames, and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. ... The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... , Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles (50 km) south west of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... Farnborough is a town in the Hampshire borough of Rushmoor in South East England. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52... The South Western Main Line is the railway line from London Waterloo to Weymouth on the Dorset coast. ... The Basingstoke Canal passing through Woking The Basingstoke Canal is one of the waterways in the United Kingdom. ... Basingstoke railway station, as seen from Alençon Link. ... The A303 is a trunk road in England. ... Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... Winchester Cathedral as seen from the Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire, with a population of around 35,000. ...

Forming the Winchester Bypass it widens to 3 lanes at junction 9, continues directly south and then into a small loop around the east of the City. It runs through a deep cutting in Twyford Down and then proceeds south west again, crossing the South Western Railway Main Line a second time alongside the River Itchen and back into a more urban environment before crossing the Eastleigh to Romsey railway line and ending at the Chilworth Roundabout on the fringes of Southampton. Twyford Down lies to the South East of Winchester, Hampshire, England. ... The Itchen near Ovington. ... Crowded Shibuya, Tokyo shopping district An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... The Eastleigh-Romsey Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Romsey in Hampshire in the United Kingdom. ...

History

Construction of the M3 started in 1971, and was completed in stages until 1995. The opening dates, going from north east to south west, are as follows:^[1] Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

• Junction 1 to Junction 3 opened in 1974.
• Junction 3 to junction 8 opened in 1971.

An additional junction, numbered 4a, opened in April 1992 near Farnborough^[2]

• Junction 8 to Junction 10 opened in 1985.

The original terminus of the M3 was with a temporary junction near junction 8 that fed directly into the A33 at Popham, built in 1971. When the M3 was extended to junction 10 in 1985, this temporary junction was removed.

• Junction 10 to Junction 12 opened in 1995.

This section was constructed partly on the original route of the A33.

• Junction 12 to Junction 14 was designated as motorway in 1992.

The section from just south of Junction 11 to Junction 14 was constructed using the alignment of a section of the A33 road originally built in 1967. This was upgraded to motorway standards in 1991, although not formally designated a motorway until the completion of the section from Junction 10 around Winchester (see below). The westbound M27 motorway link was completed in 1975 and the eastbound link in 1986. The road was upgraded to motorway in 1992, but only as far as a temporary junction at Compton, south of the present-day junction 11. This temporary junction was removed when the final section of M3 between this and junction 10 was completed in 1995.

Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The A33 is a major road in England. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Looking down onto the M27 from Portsdown Hill. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Compton and Shawford is a parish in the City of Winchester, Hampshire, England. ...

Twyford Down

See main article: Twyford Down

The M3 under construction at Twyford Down

Following completion of the route to north and south of Winchester, there was a gap in the motorway around Winchester. This section of the journey had to be completed on the A33 road, which suffered congestion and had junctions directly onto the mainline (unlike motorways which have grade separated junctions). The route ran to the west of Twyford Down. The Department for Transport wanted to complete the route, however they had difficulty setting a route due to several sites including St Catherine's Hill, an Iron Age fort being of historical or environmental interest. Twyford down was a site of special scientific interest and was afforded some protection under European Union regulations. Following an evaluation, the route was moved from the west to the east of St Catherine's Hill.^[2] A tunnel design was proposed, but this was not proceeded with and the route was placed in a cutting. During construction there were extensive protests by local people and environmental activists. Despite petitions to the High Court by, amongst others, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth contesting the legality of the construction, and an instruction by Carlo Ripa di Meana the European Environmental Commissioner to stop the project, the route was completed and opened to traffic between junctions 10 and 12. The A33 route, that ran east of Twyford Down, was removed and was opened in public land. Around 1.9 hectares of land was lost on Twyford down, but over 7 hectares was added as open space.^[3] Reportedly some people still refuse to drive on it.^[4] Twyford Down lies to the South East of Winchester, Hampshire, England. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (2133 × 1350 pixel, file size: 815 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Subject: M3 motorway under construction at Twyford Down, one week after opening Photographer: Chris Woodford (Chrisw404) Date: July, 1994 Location: Twyford Down, Winchester, Hampshire, England File... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (2133 × 1350 pixel, file size: 815 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Subject: M3 motorway under construction at Twyford Down, one week after opening Photographer: Chris Woodford (Chrisw404) Date: July, 1994 Location: Twyford Down, Winchester, Hampshire, England File... In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the transport network. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... ... Her Majestys High Court of Justice (known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in England and Wales: see Courts of England and Wales. ... Greenpeace protest against Esso / Exxon Mobil. ... Friends of the Earth is an international network of environmental organizations in 70 countries. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... A hectare (symbol ha) is a metric unit of surface area, equal to 100 ares (the name is a contraction of the SI prefix hecto + are). ...

Junctions

The A316, also known as the Great Chertsey Road, is a major road in England, which connects the M3 motorway to Central London via the A4. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Sunbury-on-Thames is a leafy suburb in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey in the United Kingdom. ... Kingston upon Thames, part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is an ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned, and is now a lively suburb of London. ... The A308, is a road in England in two parts. ... Gatwick Airport (IATA Airport Code: LGW, ICAO Airport Code: EGKK) is Londons second airport and the second largest airport in the UK after Heathrow. ... The M23 motorway is a major road in England. ... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... The M20 motorway is a major road in England. ... The north, the midlands and the south Northern England, The North or North of England is a rather ill-defined term, with no universally accepted definition. ... The M1 motorway heading south towards junction 37 at Barnsley, South Yorkshire. ... London Heathrow Airport (IATA airport code: LHR, ICAO airport code: EGLL, and often simply Heathrow) is the United Kingdoms busiest and best-connected airport. ... The M4 motorway is a motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. ... Map of Chertsey (from OpenStreetMap) Chertsey Bridge The Old Town Hall Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames, and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and part of the London Commuter Belt of South East England. ... The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... , See Woking (borough) for the administrative district. ... Charles Square, Bracknell , Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of the English county of Berkshire. ... Lightwater is a village in Surrey, England about 27 miles to the south-west of London. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... , For other places with the same name, see Guildford (disambiguation). ... Castle Street Farnham is a small town in Surrey, England. ... , Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles (50 km) south west of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. ... Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland approximately 55 km (35 miles) southwest of London. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... Picture of the southbound building. ... Hook is a large village in northern Hampshire, in the South East England region of the UK. It is situated some 10 km (6 miles) east of Basingstoke, 58 km (36 miles) northeast of Southampton and 68 km (42 miles) southwest of London on the A30 national route, just north... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 2 in Great Britain starting south of the River Thames and east of the A3. ... B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. ... Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. ... Statistics Population: 16,584 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU716394 Administration District: East Hampshire Shire county: Hampshire Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Hampshire Historic county: Hampshire Services Police force: Hampshire Constabulary Ambulance: South Central Post office and telephone Post town: GUILDFORD... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. ... Statistics Population: 52,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU3645 Administration District: Test Valley Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Hampshire Historic county: Hampshire Services Police force: Hampshire Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South Central Post office and telephone Post town... Salisbury (IPA: , or — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The A34 is a major road in England. ... B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. ... The A31 is a major trunk road in England running south west from Guildford in Surrey along the Hogs Back. ... B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. ... , Romsey, located at (50. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... Chandlers Ford is a largely residential area in the borough of Eastleigh in southern England. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... Arms of Fareham Borough Council Fareham Creek today, looking towards Gosport The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... Souhampton Docks are the docks in Southampton. ... Location within the British Isles Ringwood is a town in Hampshire, England, on the River Avon, to the west of the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. ... , Bournemouth is a large town and tourist resort, situated on the south coast of England. ...

Trivia

• It is rumoured that the original negatives of the full-length cut of the film The Wicker Man are buried under the M3 after being used as part of a landfill. [1]
• On 1 April, 2000, Pranksters painted a zebra crossing across three lanes of the M3 between junctions 4 and 4A on the northbound carriageway near Farnborough in Hampshire. [2]
• The A325 has a roundabout junction with a minor road over the M3 between junctions 3 and 4, but there is no junction with the motorway.

The Wicker Man is a cult 1973 British film combining thriller, existential, horror and musical genres, directed by Robin Hardy and written by Anthony Shaffer. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. ... A roundabout or rotary is a type of road junction (or traffic calming device) at which traffic enters a stream around a central island after first yielding (giving way) to the circulating traffic. ...

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom

List of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list of motorways in the United Kingdom. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

M3 motorway

• CBRD
  • Motorway Database — M3
  • Bad Junctions — M3/A31
• The Motorway Archive — M3

	Motorways in the United Kingdom
Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898
A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M)
	Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M)	edit
Past: M16 • M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M)    Unbuilt: M12 • M13 • M15 • M31 • M64    Future: M4 Toll