A-Road cycle provision

[GdS]

before i head off tomorrow, this is gonna turn into a considerably overdistance 200 not helped by no trains from Chelmsford on Sunday;

are there any real no-noes? the Elveden dive under avoids a lot of the A11 it will be silly o clock in the morning

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42114996

I'd avoid the A131 from Braintree to Chelmsford and a better route to Billericay . Here's a better route.  If you're after needing to control in Chelmsford etc then you could head inwards.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42390562

Yes I did need to get to Chelmsford to complete the challenge although the cathedral was closed; I will go back there though as Billericay is out of the way for St Albans.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

THe biggest block in my neck of the woods is the A34 south of Chilton.  There is no cycle provision, it's one of the heaviest used dual carriageways, and there is a 1-mile section where there is no alternative N-S cycle route for 8 miles in either direction.  There's never a safe time to use it as it is the main truck route from the Midlands to Southampton docks and it's also heading to the base of a steep hill where drivers are concentrating on not getting stuck behind something.

[drossall]

Good example. I still think that the Highways Agencies should be required to build things that meet the definition of a highway, i.e. not putting hindrances in the way of His Majesty's subjects' right to travel without hindrance

[Solocle]

THe biggest block in my neck of the woods is the A34 south of Chilton.  There is no cycle provision, it's one of the heaviest used dual carriageways, and there is a 1-mile section where there is no alternative N-S cycle route for 8 miles in either direction.  There's never a safe time to use it as it is the main truck route from the Midlands to Southampton docks and it's also heading to the base of a steep hill where drivers are concentrating on not getting stuck behind something.

I had no problems cycling along the A34 to a race (Oxford-Dalton Barracks) at 7am, but that was a weekend.

Two years ago I took an early morning run along the A303:

[Peat]

I'm plugged into the Bicycle Users Group at Harwell there (HARBUG) and they reported in an AGM in 2019 that Highways had approved a project for A34 cycle provision there (known as 'Bridge to Berkshire') connecting Bury Lane and Newbury Road. This seems to have stalled at the 'negotiating with landowner' stage.
There's already a metalled farm track there which the landowner tries to make difficult to use, but you need off-road capable tyres.

There's another organization callled West Berks Spokes who are aiming to get as much of the old Didcot-Newbury railway line mad einto a cycle track. They have got a section near Newbury doen which is great, but the bits nearer the A34 there have long since been used as landfill.