Full closures on M3 interchange at Winchester as £290m improvement works continues
The M3 will be fully closed as a multi-million pound project to create free-flowing traffic links continues, with major diversions in place.
Costing upwards of £290m, major road improvement work is ploughing ahead on the M3 at Winchester between junctions 8 and 9, with weekend closures planned.
The busy junction leads onto the A34 towards the north and connects back towards the A272 in the south, and is a popular north to south route for motorists travelling from the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire area.
The project, which will create free-flowing links between the M3 and the A34 in both directions, will widen the junction and build two new bridges on the gyratory.
This will allow the M3 to increase to 4 as it passes through the junction and the southbound slip road onto the M3 will also be extended to improve safety.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, previously said: “Anyone who uses this junction knows how frustrating it can be. But our £290m investment will save thousands of hours for commuters, tourists and freight every week, unlocking the true potential of our ports to deliver economic growth.
“We’re building rather than blocking, so that we can get our economy growing. Approving these works, and the 2,000 homes it will support, is just another milestone on the way to delivering 1.5 million homes in this Parliament as part of our Plan for Change.
“This Government is investing in vital road schemes with huge economic benefits, and so far we’ve invested half a billion pounds for six schemes across England to renew our long neglected national infrastructure.”
National Highways, which is carrying out the project, has confirmed the M3 will be closed in both directions between junction 8 and 9 across two weekends.
This is to allow for the installation of steel beams for the new roundabout bridge decks.
The closures are as follows:
- Friday, January 30 at 9pm to Monday, February 2 at 6am
- Friday, February 13 at 9pm to Monday, February 16 at 6am
During the M3 closures, a diversion route will be in place redirecting northbound drivers along the Winchester bypass, onto the A34 and then onto the A303 before rejoining the M3 at junction 8.
For people travelling southbound, they will come off the M3 at junction 8 onto the A303, where they will join the A34 before travelling onto the Winchester bypass and then rejoin the motorway.