Major motorway to shut TONIGHT with disruption for drivers to last for months
A MAJOR motorway is set to shut tonight with disruption to drivers expected to last months.
Part of the M27 will close near Hampshire and a 50mph speed enforced as part of £115m improvement works supporting the construction of a new garden village.
The improvements to Junction 10 are expected to make it easier to access the motorway from the new development.
But the lane closures, which are between Junctions 9 and 10 and some to Junction 11, are expected to cause mega disruption.
The M27 will have lane closures in place overnight on 13 occasions, with works including drainage surveys, barrier installations, and the delivery of large metal construction materials.
The first set of lane closures will take place from today until March 20th and then Monday, March 24th until Wednesday, March 26th.
Lanes 1, 2, and 3 will be closed on the M27 eastbound and westbound, with lane 4 remaining open for traffic.
A full closure will take place overnight eastbound between Junctions 9 and 11 from 9pm on Sunday 30 March until 6am on Monday 31 March, with an extra date on the night of Thursday 3 April if needed.
The westbound closure between Junctions 11 and 9 is scheduled for the night of Monday 31 March, with an extra date of Friday 4 April.
A 50mph speed restriction and safety cameras will be installed on the carriageways during the closures and diversions will be in place.
Hampshire County Council is undergoing the works with National Highways.
The council said the traffic management was necessary to “safely reduce the number of lanes on the motorway from four to three”.
It added: “This ensures the safety of passing motorway users and construction staff working on the embankments, particularly around the area of a new underpass which will be delivered by the scheme.”
The Welborne Garden Village development, which is being built on 1,000 acres of farmland, near Fareham, Hampshire, will eventually have 6,000 homes, once work begins in Autumn.
Welborne’s developers say it will become one of the largest private housing developments in the UK.
The first wave of homes have already started being built, with 474 homes already being constructed.
Works on the village centre, which will include a primary school, GP surgery and pharmacy, nursery, pub/hotel, cafes, shops, and sports facilities, will start in Autumn.
Drivers have been warned that lane reductions and closures could change at short notice.