The A3 From A Nightmare to A Dream.

Welcome to the A3 Hindhead Tunnel web site. My name is Lance Nelson and have lived in Hindhead for fourteen years.

I established this web site for a bit of fun for my son. Then it started to get quite a lot of visitors. So then I thought that the tunnel offers a unique, and one off opportunity. So now the web site will focus on all aspects of the tunnel and its economic impact.

The site is here to promote the area to the benefit of all the village and town communities affected by the tunnel. In these economically challenging times, we are fortunate to have been presented with a huge one off opportunity. But there's a problem far greater than a few roadworks.

Those who have lived in the area for many years will know of the many attractions for living and/or working here. However, for many, it is known as the A3 traffic nightmare.

However, the A3 Hindhead Tunnel, due to complete in August 2011, will produce huge amounts of FREE PUBLICITY. Publicity which we should encourage if it benefits the region and those who pass through it.

Contributing to this web site will not only be useful to other web visitors - but will also help share news in the run up to the tunnel's completion and then beyond.

If you have a business or are setting up a business then you stand to benefit from a lot of free publicity by becoming involved.

Keep an eye out for some new innovative ways this site can promote your:

* business
* event
* meeting
* web site

then just drop me an email to lancenelson1@gemail and I can provide a web site review of any of the above in both written, audio and video formats. It won't cost you anything.

In the meantime, have you any comments or suggestions. Please make them on this site or , if you prefer, contact me.

Here's to Hindhead and the A3 tunnel,

Lance

What Everybody Ought To Know About The Hindhead Tunnel

It my have slipped the major news but Balfour Beatty, the construction firm behind the new A3 tunnel at Hindhead, has been fined almost £30,000 after allowing potentially lethal substances to infect bodies of water surrounding the site.

The good news no long term damage has been done.

Here is the recent news item:

Balfour Beatty Engineering Limited, registered at Station Road, Redhill, failed to prevent silt from flowing into Millhanger Lake and Hammer Ponds, in Goldaming.

The company admitted two charges of causing poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, in relation to incidents between June 4 and 6 last year and on January 14 this year. Two other offences were also taken into consideration at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Prosecutor Janet Federick said the company was carrying out construction work over the three days in June by clearing the site after heavy rainfall. Tanks were used to soak up the surface water before depositing it into the drainage system. “A report was received and officers from the Environment Agency visited the site and found the pond to be orangey brown in colour,” she told magistrates.

“The project manager stated that the pond was usually of a normal colour.” Samples taken from Millhanger Lake revealed the level of silt to be 2,000 milligrams per litre of water, far higher than the normal level.

More silt was discovered in the drainage pipes and the company was issued with formal cautions, Mrs Federick added. "No long-term damage" Balfour Beatty also installed siltbuster machines at its construction site in Nutcombe Valley stream ponds. However, further rainfall this January meant the silt ran into four of the ponds, discolouring them and threatening living carp, the court heard.

This was despite the construction of a dam-like structure to prevent the situation occurring. “During interview, Paul Hoyland [a representative of the company] fully admitted responsibility,” Mrs Frederick added.

Mark Scoggins, defending, pointed out that the company had taken the steps to inform the Environment Agency once the incidents happened.

He added they were caused by heavy rainfall and the silt being pumped into the drains without being allowed to settle in the tank. “This was not a reckless action and we could not have done more to prevent it,” Mr Scoggins said. “Since it happened the company has spent over £200,000 to prevent this happening again.”

Chairman of the bench Rodger Broad fined Balfour Beatty £14,000 on each count and ordered the company to pay costs of £9,4722.29. “These were repeated breaches but we realise there was no long-term damage caused,” he added.

A3 Gold Mine ?

Well that was the heading for a recent article. Do you agree ? My view is that the A3 Hindhead Tunnel will increasingly attract media interest as completion in summer 2011 nears. Its also a fascinating part of the regions history and for many has been long awaited. I will be posting tunneling updates as they happen.

This media interest in the tunnel presents some great opportunities, and possibly some potential threats for the many businesses in the area. However, my own view, is that there is an opportunity to publicise your event or business.

With the price of fuel more and more people want to deal locally and with people close or part of their community. I have found that this rings true for my own businesses, Jet2Let Property Ltd ( www.jet2letproperty.com) an overseas property real estate agent specialising in Egypt, Portugal, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Italy, Turkey, and also as a regional partner for web site designers and internet consultants, www.webfactoryguildford.co.uk/en .

The site is a perfect opportunity for networking and in particular may help charities or event organisers publicise their need for help or events requiring publicity. There may also be new businesses moving to the area or setting up who need services provided by local providers.

Do send me an email to lancenelson1@gmail.com with your name, email and tel number. In addition a free link to your website for the first 50 businesses to contact me is offered. Under no circumstances will your details be released to any other third party.

Petersfield Post / Bordon Post

Thank you to the Petersfield and Bordon Post for covering this Blog. We had already been contacted by a number of businesses requesting links on the site and these will be on soon. Generally we prefer links to be reciprocal.

Freddie's fascination with the tunnel continued yesterday as we visited the south portal with the Petersfield Posts' photographer, David Garvey. The general activity was the highest we have seen with a continual circuit of trucks being loaded up with sand from the cutting, heading down the hill to deposit their load in order to raise up the ground level by the entrance. They then make their way up the hill.

All the time the tunneling continues and the cutting is rapidly getting deeper. A 20metre trench is being excavated and this is well worth a look.

Interview from South entrance

Yesterday (3rd July 2008) I went down to check out the progress of the A3 Hindhead Tunnel from the southern end from the official viewing platform. This platform is found just 30metres south of the Total petrol station which is 200 metres to the south of the Hindhead traffic lights.

See my interview with an Atkins engineer here:



In Summary he told me the following information:

• 1 metre per shift of tunnelling is made in each tunnel entrance
  
• North bound (from the south) tunnel now 30 metres in
• South bound (from the south) about 15 metres
• Excavation by excavator trucks NOT a huge drill - just not economic.
• Cutting before tunnel will be 20 metres deep!
• A footbridge to Anne's house will be made
• Opening on target for August 2011

and here's 6 year old Freddie's guide to the Hindhead tunnel, please wait for the important information at the end:


Please post your views and any news of the tunnel or correct any errors