PRESSED to manage emergency traffic diversions better when the A3 Tunnel is closed and avoid blighting surrounding villages, Highways England has agreed to further talks to solve the problem.

Haslemere Mayor Malcolm Carter called for Surrey County Council to take immediate action on behalf of residents of Thursley, Bowlhead Green and Haslemere, concerning the roads agency’s “lack of emergency planning” at the last Waverley Local Area Committee.

Surrey Police, county highways officers, Thursley Parish Council, Haslemere Town Council and Hindhead county councillor David Harmer are all in discussion with Highways England about improving diversion signs for planned and unplanned tunnel closures.

County council staff copied correspondence to South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling when they invited roads agency bosses to attend the next LAC committee meeting to discuss solutions to the problem.

Highways England operations director Nick Harris wrote to Mr Carter to say it was clear further action was needed to keep traffic on the A3 until it reached the formal diversion during tunnel closures.

He wrote: “When we deploy traffic management for planned full tunnel closures, we implement a full closure of the southbound A3 at Hog’s Back, meaning traffic has to join the A31. You will understand it is harder to arrange a timely deployment of traffic management for unplanned closures.”

Mr Harris said electronic message signs were used at the Hog’s Back and A325 junction and overhead signs might be installed as well.

Challenged on whether motorists understood what the hollow triangle and diamond diversion signs meant, he explained the triangle was for northbound traffic and the diamond was for southbound traffic – the symbols appear in the Highway Code.

Asked why more of its staff could not be based at the tunnel HQ to help, Mr Harris said more patrols would be deployed to respond to tunnel closures.

Mr Carter welcomed the response and news that emergency electronic signs were under serious investigation, together with having more vehicles on hand to manage emergencies.

But he feared not many motorists would understand what the triangle and circle warning symbols meant.

“A follow up meeting has been offered which has been taken up both on behalf of the county and town councils,” he said.

“I remain seriously concerned about Highways England’s understanding of what an emergency closure means to all our towns and parishes, and the effect it has on businesses and residents’ roads being blighted by traffic seeking to find escape routes.”