M3 closure: Roadworks begin tomorrow as Hampshire motorway to shut for two full weekends
It’s being done to support 2,000 new homes being built near the motorway.
Motorists face two full weekend closures of a major Hampshire motorway - and roadworks start tomorrow.
National Highways will close the motorway in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 from 9pm on Friday, October 23, until 6am on Monday, October 26, to demolish the old bridges on the northern side of the junction.
A second closure is planned from November 6 to November 9, when bridges on the southern side will be removed.
The work will make way for new free-flowing links as part of the multi-million pound junction upgrade, which includes widening the motorway from two lanes to four as it passes beneath Junction 9.
A new roundabout built above the carriageway has already been carrying traffic for several weeks, following construction earlier this year and connecting works over the summer.
Daniel Kittredge, National Highways’ senior project manager, said: “Anyone driving through the area can see the great progress we've made already over the last 18 months, and this key milestone allows us to move on to the next phase of the project, where drivers will really see the new benefits start to take shape.
“To do that safely, this stretch of the motorway will be closed over two weekends and anyone travelling is advised to plan their journeys carefully and allow extra time where possible.”
The scheme is designed to support the construction of 2,000 new homes in Winchester and improve journey reliability.
National Highways expects peak-time journeys through the junction towards the A272 to be almost 30 per cent faster. Drivers travelling between the M3 and A34 are also expected to save more than 20 per cent of their overall journey time during peak periods.
The project will also create more than 22 acres of chalk grassland and provide new routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
Details of the closures and diversion routes are available via the National Highways website.