M275 in Portsmouth to be cut to 40mph limit as Brexit transition period comes to an end

From January 1 drivers must stick to a 40mph limit southbound on the motorway, with a 30mph limit on sliproads.

This is being done to alleviate pressure on Portsmouth International Port in the event of lorries arriving without the correct paperwork when Britain leaves the transition period after quitting the European Union.

Limits have twice previously been put in place in April and October last year when a no-deal Brexit was possible without a transition period.

Around £4m is being spent on the measures, including using Tipner West as a short-stay lorry triage point – in addition to others north of the county.

Last month the Department for Transport agreed to fund £2.5m of this cash.

The speed restriction is in place as more traffic is expected to be using the Tipner junction.

Measures on junctions will see the park and ride bus lane turned into a dedicated lorry lane, with a temporary traffic light control for that lane only.

Traffic marshals will use this to control lorries arriving with or without a pass to enter the port.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘When the transition period ends we're going to see changes that will affect the day-to-day lives of residents and businesses in Portsmouth.

‘Brexit isn't just something happening elsewhere so it's important everyone gets ready.

‘We want to make sure that everyone who wants to live in Portsmouth can, that businesses can trade smoothly and that the city can keep moving come 1 January.’

Temporary measures will be put in place at the Rudmore Roundabout and at the Tipner junction, the city council said. No changes will be made to Eastern Road.

Operation Transmission, organised by the Hampshire Local Resilience Forum, will see teams from a pool of 130 people checking lorries at the A31 between Alresford and Winchester.

A Hampshire County Council statement said the plan will ‘mitigate the risk of severe traffic congestion on the M275, M27 and Hampshire roads that could be caused by delays to EU-bound freight at Portsmouth International Port’.

Once lorries are checked at the A31 they can then move to the port. The A31 will be cut to 30mph and the eastbound lanes will take traffic in all directions in a contraflow system. The westbound lanes will be used to hold lorries.

Neil Odin, is chairman of the resilience forum. He said: ‘The projections shared with us clearly show that, if we do nothing, the changes to checks at the border would cause a traffic queue very quickly on the M275 and the surrounding area.

‘This would be bad news for many communities, businesses and road users across Hampshire. Our plans include short stay triage points at carefully chosen locations and early engagement with hauliers to help them be border ready, and have benefitted greatly from the input of our local government experts.

‘There will still be some impact but our plans are necessary and designed to reduce the risk as much as possible.’

Separately, the port has bid for around £20m of government cash to make changes ready for July next year to handle plant and animal products.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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