ADVICE to walkers to cross the A3 at Petersfield could lead to serious casualties, say ramblers and a motoring organisation.

The advice to cross the high speed dual carriageway on foot to follow a public footpath comes from Hampshire County Council.

Walkers who try it will have to cross the two southbound lanes, climb over a safety barrier, cross the northbound lanes, and over another metal crash barrier to reach the other side.

The issue has come to a head as ramblers try to get the county council to put another, safer route on maps.

A council spokesman said walkers can cross the A3 at the Winchester Road roundabout, or by “crossing the carriageway about half a kilometre to the south.”

Petersfield Ramblers chairman David Burge said: “I have crossed the A3 on foot and I took my life in my hands. I certainly wouldn’t lead walkers across the A3, it would be fraught with danger. It doesn’t make sense.”

And the Automobile Association (AA) motoring organisation said it was horrified at the idea of walkers taking on the traffic of the busy road.

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “Under no circumstances would we recommend people cross the A3 on foot.

“People aren’t able to calculate traffic speeds with accuracy, and trying to judge the distance of vehicles moving at high speed to cross a dual carriageway could result in serious casualties, even fatalities.

“Walkers would be running a very dangerous gauntlet, this advice hasn’t really been thought out.”

At present a path on Ordnance Survey maps leaves Bedford Road industrial estate and crosses the A3 to join a path to Stroud.

But there is a safer route, which goes from Bedford Road to the Winchester Road roundabout, under the A3, and re-joins the Stroud path.

But the county council says it wouldn’t be “inappropriate” to put it on maps.

Petersfield Ramblers footpath secretary Helen Mountain said: “In the interests of safety I am trying to get the safer route on the map so that walkers won’t try to cross the A3.”

Highways England which manages the A3 wouldn’t comment on the advisability of crossing the A3 on foot.