M3 junction reconstruction reaches 'landmark'

Work on a £290m renovation scheme on a motorway junction has reached a "landmark moment", National Highways has said.

The body is reconstructing the layout of junction 9 of the M3 near Winchester to allow traffic to flow more freely and ease congestion.

In order to install 100-tonne steel beams, the motorway is due to close in both directions over this weekend, as well as on 13-16 February.

Senior project manager Tom Beasley said the work would mean "more straightforward, faster and more reliable" journeys.

Highways England first announced proposals to reconfigure the roundabout in 2018 and revised plans were approved by the government in 2024.

The scheme involves enabling dedicated A34 links to be established.

The junction is being widened with two new bridges, allowing the M3 to be widened from three to four lanes.

The southbound slip onto the M3 is being extended so traffic has more time to join the motorway.

National Highways has said it would mean peak time journeys would be almost 30% faster through the junction to the A272.

It is also intended to make it easier for freight travelling from the port of Southampton to the Midlands and beyond, as well as supporting the building of 2,000 new homes in Winchester.

New paths for walkers, cyclists and horse riders will also be incorporated into the layout.

The motorway will be closed in both directions from 21:00 GMT on Friday until 06:00 on Monday to allow steel beams for the roundabout to be installed on the north side of the junction.

A 750 tonne-rig will be used to pick up beams and crane them into position.

A similar closure is planned from 13-16 February to install the 40m, 100-tonne beams at the south side of the junction.

Beasley described the project as "a really significant piece of infrastructure for this region".

"This junction is a key interchange for economic growth, connecting the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth to the rest of the country, and allowing millions of tonnes of freight to be shipped.

"Changing the layout of the roundabout is fundamental to improving those links, and installing the first bridge beams this weekend marks a major milestone for the scheme," he added,

More motorway closures are planned for November to allow demolition work to take place. The work is due to be completed in 2028.

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