M27 westbound interchange to be closed all weekend at junction 12 as bridge repair project continues
Drivers can expect disruption this weekend with the M27 interchange in Portsmouth set to close for bridge repairs.
The westbound interchange - where it meets the M275 and A27 - will be closed at the Portsbridge roundabout from 9pm on Friday, September 5 to Monday, September 8 at 6am as part of National Highways’ project to repair the bridges at junction 12.
Diversions will be in place but delays are expected with a busy section of the motorway closed for the full weekend, with a diversion in place.
Drivers continuing westbound will need to leave the M27 at the Portsbridge Roundabout and take the second exit onto the A27 Western Road. Once at the traffic lights they will then need to turn left onto Southampton Road and re-join the M27 westbound carriageway from there.
For drivers heading into Portsmouth via the M275, they will need to follow the same diversion, but when on Southampton Road, keep in the left hand lane to join the M275 southbound.
Expansion joints will be replaced on both bridges and waterproofing and resurfacing will take place, as well as repairs to the concrete underneath both bridges, and drainage upgraded to maintain safety.
This weekend’s closure will see a specialist team come into remove a layer of asbestos to allow the National Highways’ team and contractors to complete repairs. It will take two weekends to complete with the same section closing again at the end of this month.
The second closure was pushed back to 9pm on Friday, September 26 to 6am on Monday, September 29 to minimise disruption for Portsmouth fans travelling to the away fixture against Southampton and the home fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, September 14 and Saturday, September 20 respectively.
Emma Weston, Project Manager at National Highways, said: “Our workforce has made great progress and ensured that everything has gone to plan – often under arduous conditions, during the recent heatwave.
“The next phase of works will involve removing the surfacing and age expired waterproofing on the top of the bridges and upgrading the existing surface drainage. We’ve got an additional challenge to remove the asbestos within the waterproofing. It will be safely removed and disposed of by specialist contractors before the new waterproofing layer is applied and new surfacing laid.”
Emma added: “We understand the frustration our works may have. The weekend closures have been carefully planned to avoid the Portsmouth Football Club home and away games as we know these would be busier weekends.”
The remaining closures for the project can be found below.
Full weekend closures:
Friday, September 5 at 9pm, to Monday, September 8 at 6am (Westbound)
Friday, September 26 at 9pm, to Monday, September 29 at 6am (Westbound)
Friday, October 10 at 9pm, to Monday, October 13 at 6am (Eastbound)
Friday, October 17 at 9pm, to Monday, October 20 at 6am (Eastbound)
Overnight closures (9pm to 6am):
Monday, September 29 to Friday, October 3 (Westbound)
Monday, November 3 to Friday, November 7 (Eastbound)
Further details on the project can be found on the National Highways’ website.
If you’re affected by the incident reported above – or just want to avoid getting caught in delays – the AA Traffic News tool can help. It shows live updates on congestion, accidents and roadworks across the UK. Just enter your postcode or click ‘Find my location’ to see what’s happening on the roads near you. You can also plan a full route, avoid motorways or tolls, and check travel conditions before you leave.