Column: The A303's weak link to Honiton needs to be tackled

I also declare an interest here coming from a farming family background with no axe to grind other than common sense.

Returning from London on the shortest and according to sat-nav the quickest route, the A303/A30 via Honiton, I was thrilled to find the newly completed dual carriageway section open between Sparkford and Podimore.

This now joins the two long dual carriageway sectors either side of this bottleneck and enhances one of two primary routes to Devon and Cornwall.

The other of course being the M5/4 serving the Midlands and all points north.

Drivers from London, Dover and the southeast in reality can only choose one of these two routes since the A35 along the south coast is a slow local route to Poole and quite unsuitable for HGVs.

After Ilminster, sat-nav continued to suggest I head west on the A303 towards Honiton, a 20 minute 15 mile single carriageway road through the Blackdown Hills.

But within a mile the traffic halted.

In the distance I saw a flashing amber light on the back of the silage trailer being slowly hauled uphill by a tractor travelling at walking speed.

The tractor driver was completely within his rights to be there, but continued a full six miles at crawling pace until the short dual carriageway at Marsh which allowed some traffic to pass.

Alternative, albeit longer, side roads exist for his journey but why would the farmer bother if it’s legal?

How many times does this happen throughout the land on major A roads with incalculable delays and costs to the lifeblood of commercial traffic?

Muddy tractors and equally muddy trailers are not compatible with these arterial routes.

Legislation or minimum speed enforcement needs to be considered here.

The solution to this weakest link should be the final dualling through to Honiton from Ilminster.

If it is good enough for the forests of Haldon with the A380 and A38, then Blackdown Hills must surely follow.