UPDATE: M275 closure for Tipner fire - when will it reopen?

The road was closed early yesterday morning (July 6) after smoke spread over the carriageway for the safety of motorists and then reopened before 9am as it cleared. But it was again closed when ‘thick black smoke’ again spread over the M275.

It was expected to reopen at 5pm yesterday, however Hampshire Police confirmed that there was a delay and it would remain shut for the majority of today until it was safe to reopen.

In the statement they said: “The road is likely to remain closed for the majority of today, however we will ensure we update you as soon as it is reopened. We know that this will be disruptive to many of you and we do thank you for your patience while our colleagues at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service deal with the ongoing fire. Please continue to make alternative travel arrangements today.

“For those of you with vehicles at the Park & Ride car park, this will be open today to collect vehicles, however the bus service has been temporarily suspended.

“The bollards have been removed between the Park & Ride and Tipner Lane, so you can reach the site via Tipner whilst the M275 is closed.Please note, when exiting the Park & Ride, please travel southbound on the M275 to Rudmore Roundabout. We do apologise for any inconvenience.“

Lane closures were also put in place on the eastbound M27 from Fareham towards Portsmouth as part of traffic controls leading up to the closed M275 and the city’s park and ride service has been suspended for the day.

In some good news, Portsmouth City Council has confirmed it has arranged for Southern Water’s repairs to the sewage pipe on Eastern Road to be paused to allow for the reopening of the southbound lane.

A number of fire crews from across Hampshire have been tackling the fire with 117 tonnes of domestic dry waste alight. National Highways took over from the police and they have been dealing with the road closure for the past few hours. They have now confirmed that all of the lanes have reopened.

For more information, click here.