Gone in 60 seconds: Footage reveals round-the-clock operation to demolish bridge as M3 Junction 9 improvement project gathers pace

Remarkable video footage reveals the round-the-clock operation to demolish a bridge at the weekend as part of work to upgrade the M3 in Hampshire.

National Highways teams worked day and night from Friday evening through until the early hours of yesterday morning (Monday, October 26) to safely remove the structure on the north side of Junction 9.

The minute-long timelapse footage shows how workers used specialist machinery to chip away at the old concrete surface before tirelessly clearing thousands of tons of debris, so the carriageway could reopen in time for the morning rush.

(Watch the video embedded in this story)

The bridge, along with another on the south side of the site which will also be demolished next month, previously made up the junction's roundabout.

This was replaced with a new gyratory earlier this year, and clearing the old bridges now will create space for the M3 to be widened, and new free-flowing links to be established.

Daniel Kittredge, National Highways senior project manager, said: "I'm incredibly proud of the work our teams carried out over the weekend, at times in very challenging conditions.

"This footage offers a snapshot into the scale of the job we had on our hands, and we'll be back to do the same again in a couple of weeks.

"We can then move on to the next phase of the project and start delivering the benefits that will help unlock this junction's potential as a key interchange for economic growth."

The motorway will close again in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 from 9pm on Friday, November 6 until 6am on Monday, November 9 so the second bridge can be removed.

The M3 Junction 9 upgrade is essential to support the building of 2,000 new homes in Winchester, and will improve reliability for drivers – with peak time journeys set to be almost 30 per cent faster through the junction to the A272.

The junction is a key route between the Midlands and the south coast, and between the M3 and A34, drivers will save more than 20 per cent of their overall journey time during peak hours.

The project will also provide a host of environmental benefits, including more than 22 acres of chalk grassland, as well as new routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Further information on the upcoming weekend closure, including diversion routes, can be found on the scheme’s dedicated webpage here.