MOTORISTS bore the brunt of the snowy weather as Storm Emma swept into East Hampshire during the afternoon rush hour period.
Long delays built up around the Hindhead Tunnel on the A3 after a lorry overturned on the northbound carriageway and snow and ice combined to make driving conditions treacherous on the southbound carriageway.
The tunnel was closed intermittently during the evening rush hour to stop traffic queuing inside the tunnel as long jams built up as one lane of the northbound carriageway had to be closed just north of Hindhead.
The carriageway was also closed for a time to allow emergency services to recover the lorry, which had ended up on its side. When the road was open past the scene of the incident one lane was closed to traffic.
Problems also built up on the southbound carriageway due to patches of ice forming at the mouth of the tunnel, which caused cars to struggle to make it into the tunnel itself.
Motorists driving through the area were reporting delays of over an hour in both directions as rush hour traffic built up around the tunnel.
Conditions further south on the A3 continued to deteriorate as the evening wore on – the road was still open to traffic but with snow covering most of the carriageway in both directions, motorists were being warned to take extra care if they ventured out.
Many rural roads were more difficult to negotiate, with the stiffening breeze causing snow to drift in places and routes over the district’s hills were also experiencing problems.
Some routes around Haslemere and Fernhurst had to be closed due to ice, and Harting Hill and routes through the Meon Valley were also reportedly experiencing problems.
The A272 between Petersfield and Midhurst became more difficult to negotiate as Thursday evening continued.
Rail passengers haven’t escaped the travel misery, with services through East Hampshire delayed during the evening period by up to an hour or having to be cancelled due to the snow and ice.