AN EIGHT-MILE stretch of the A33 north of Basingstoke could be considered for a dual carriageway, according to a leading Hampshire county councillor.

Cllr Keith Estlin said the existing single carriageway section of the road would be looked at when the council draws up the Local Transport Plan, which is due to be published in July 2005.

The A33 links Basingstoke to Reading and is a single carriageway from Chineham to Riseley. It was last considered for improvement when the 1999 LTP came out but was rejected.

Now the road has been identified by the RAC Foundation as being in urgent need of improvements.

Two years ago, a survey released by the Basingstoke-based AA identified the road as one of the most dangerous in Britain after 29 people died on it over three years. The organisation based its findings on a number of criteria, including whether the roads were dualled and traffic flow.

AA spokeswoman Rebecca Rees said the road had not improved since the survey was carried out and added the organisation would welcome dualling.

Cllr Estlin, the county council's executive member for the environment, believes a rethink on the status of the single carriageway section of the A33 is now likely.

He said: "The Chineham station scheme has not progressed and the increase in traffic has been greater than we had been expecting.

"Between now and June and over the next year we are investigating what will have to go into the LTP."

The A33 regularly gets snarled up with traffic during rush hour and Basingstoke borough councillor Andy McCormick welcomed the RAC Foundation's call: "I have to agree with them on the need for the A33 to be dualled. The issue keeps popping up at various transport committees like BEST and the Road Safety Council.

"At the moment it's well over traffic capacity and at times the average speed is only 20mph so a reduced speed limit isn't needed."

Cllr McCormick said that the fact the A33 is much busier at peak times had been used as a reason not to improve the road in the past.

"However, the M25 is quiet at 2am and work is being carried out to increase the lanes there."

The A33 is a main route linking the Thames Valley to the south coast and Cllr McCormick believes dualling the road would reflect that status. He believes the road should come under the control of the Highways Agency.

The RAC has identified 40 roads in the UK that need improvements and has called for the Government to fund a £20billion development programme.

No decision on the future of the A33 will be made until Hampshire County Council's Local Transport Plan is published in July 2005.