M3 secrets

[Mojooo]

This is about the motorway not the car but presumably the right forum.

I was driving down the M3 motorway the other day from London towards Southampton and I had just gone past junction 4a towards junction 5...Fleet services is in between those junctions.

There was a vehicle fire on the other side of the motorway between junctions 5 and 4a (going towards London)

On my side (4a to 5) there was a fire engine behind with blue lights on - so logically it had to go back down to junction 5 and turn around to go back towards junction 4 (the fire was in the middle of those junctions).

The fire engine went off at Fleet services - I presume because there is some road which allows them to turn around and go back to the other side of the motorway...but how? I am fairly sure there was no fire in Fleet services but that could be the answer.

I had a look on Google maps

I can see on satellite view that there is actually a road that lets you go from the services onto the local roads but if you look at the street view it actually says its ANPR controlled- so I am guessing its for emergency services? I don't think this road is much use for the fire engine anyway as it doesn't seem to connect back to the motorway on the other side easily.

Is there some other way that I can't see on the map that would allow then to turn around quickly?

[brillomaster]

Possibly out the back of the services, right then right again on the a323, back through the other services and rejoin the northbound carriageway?

[essayer]

[Mojooo]

Ahh yes only just realised you can go back on from the other side

Although given they were bombing it down the hard shoulder I do wonder if it makes a huge difference v going down to 5 and back.

[littleredrooster]

Most motorways have a series of cut-throughs that the general public probably know nothing about. Some are controlled by barriers/ANPR, others are open. It often saves a long detour to the next junction for the services that need to use them. Penalties apply to those who aren't permitted to use them.

[sooty61]

This bloke is very entertaining if you are interested in motorway trivia/hidden roads etc

https://youtube.com/@AutoShenanigans?si=AEBr6Ctw9P...

[SydneyBridge]

Ì tried to go out of the back of fleet services when the motorway was blocked, decided the fine not worth it...

Also worked at Keele services on the M6 whilst at uni, the secret road saved a huge journey to work

Edited by SydneyBridge on Sunday 28th January 19:18

[Actual]

Many years ago I commuted from Basingstoke and often avoided jams by exiting the M3 motorway using the Fleet Services service roads. One day I was going out as a jam sandwich was coming in. Got away with it.

[Snoozy]

There is a tunnel there that is specifically for emergency services to use for this kind of incident.

[ARHarh]

Back in the 80's the fleet services exits were un-gated and often used by the residents of Fleet. This was before the days of junction 4a. We often found our way to the services in the early hours of the morning for something to eat, always using those exits to get there.

[Riley Blue]

Snoozy said:

There is a tunnel there that is specifically for emergency services to use for this kind of incident.

From Fleet Services North to Fleet Services South large enough to get a fire engine through?

[king arthur]

On the M6 there is a services with a Travelodge on only the south bound side, think it's Southwaite. If you are staying at that Travelodge you can access it from the other side by using a back road which appears to be monitored, presumably if you didn't turn up at the Travelodge after using the back exit from the north bound services you'd get a fine.

[Snoozy]

Riley Blue said:

From Fleet Services North to Fleet Services South large enough to get a fire engine through?

From memory I’m sure it was, I had to meet a colleague from up North there so they could pick up a wife of a RTC fatally and drive her back. They used the tunnel to get back on the M3 Northbound.

[Tin Hat]

I took a service road from the M11 southbound after a total tyre loss last weekend, the exit said service vehicles only, but having sat on the M11 for 4 hours two weeks before that to await a tow truck, I was not comfortable sitting on the verge for an unknown period of time.

It was quite bizarre, 100 metres later I was on a country lane, no barriers or gates to stop my escape, there were a few houses nearby and I suspect that they would also be tempted to use the exit……..Unless they know something I don’t

[Mr Tidy]

I think quite a few Services have another access route to make life easier for the staff.

[HairyMaclary]

sooty61 said:

This bloke is very entertaining if you are interested in motorway trivia/hidden roads etc

https://youtube.com/@AutoShenanigans?si=AEBr6Ctw9P...

I love John's videos. It's a shame he's completed all the motorways now!

Amazing to see his channel grow from about 500 subs to over 100k in less than a year.

[Truckosaurus]

Mr Tidy said:

I think quite a few Services have another access route to make life easier for the staff.

Indeed. Also, I once stayed at a Ramada hotel at a services somewhere in the Midlands (can't remember exactly where) and as a hotel guest you could use the 'secret entrance' as that was the best way to get there from a nearby A-road.

[ccr32]

Snoozy said:

There is a tunnel there that is specifically for emergency services to use for this kind of incident.

No there isn't. As others have said, there are local access roads to the services on both sides of the motorway. Camera's there now, but there never used to be...