When will the A31 reopen? Diversion route explained as firefighters continue to tackle New Forest wildfire
We continue to have a large presence as we enter the weekend,” a fire officer said.
The A31 will not be reopened to motorists this weekend, it has been confirmed.
On Sunday, August 9, a vehicle fire on the A31 latched on to nearby heathland, and quickly spread to 165 acres of land in the New Forest - the equivalent of 200 football pitches.
Since then, the A31 has been closed in its entirety, between the M27 Junction 2 for Ower and the A338 for Ringwood westbound, and from the A338 to the M27 Junction 1 for Cadnam eastbound.
According to National Highways, the damage to the A31 includes replacing at least 1,000 metres of boundary fencing, road resurfacing and several hundred metres of vehicle restraint barrier.
Assistant chief fire officer Rob Cole, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We continue to have a large presence as we enter the weekend. [The fire is] approximately 1.6sqkm in size - 169 different fire appliances have attended from 93 fire stations, and crews have spent almost 10,000 hours at the incident.
“A huge thank you for the incredible job our Control Room teams are doing in managing our resources. Together with the support of all our partners, we are still able to respond to emergency calls across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.”
Here are the diversion routes for westbound and eastbound motorists:
Westbound diversion
Exit the M27 at J2 (Ower Interchange) onto the A326 towards Ashurst Bridge.
Join the A35 and head southbound on the A35 through Ashurst, Lyndhurst, Allum Green, Hinton Admiral and Christchurch.
At the Iford roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the A3060 towards the Cooper Dean roundabout.
At the Cooper Dean roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the A338.
Continue northbound on the A338 to the Ashley Heath roundabout to re-join the A31.
Eastbound diversion
Exit the A31 at Ashley Heath roundabout onto the A338.
Continue south on the A338 towards Bournemouth.
At the Cooper Dean roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the A3060.
Continue on the A3060 to the Iford roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the A35.
Continue on the A35 through Christchurch, Hinton Admiral, Allum Green, Lyndhurst and Ashurst until you reach the A326.
Head northbound on the A326 to re-join the M27 at J2 (Ower Interchange).