Underpass works to finish ahead of schedule

A stretch of motorway closed for major engineering works is due to fully reopen 24 hours ahead of schedule.

The M27, which has been shut in both directions between junction 11 for Fareham and junction nine for Segensworth since Christmas Eve, is set to reopen at 04:00 GMT on Saturday.

It is part of a £100m scheme to build an underpass to access the new Welborne Garden Village, and saw an 8,500-tonne, four-lane wide structure slid into position.

Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "This has been a mammoth engineering challenge, delivered by a dedicated team working around the clock right through the Christmas period."

It is the first time the so-called "box slide" method utilised during the works has been carried out in Hampshire, and is "one of only a handful of box slide operations undertaken in the UK", Hampshire County Council said.

After the structure, which is the length of six double decker buses, was slid 65m (213ft) along an excavated trench, the road surface was reinstated.

The authority said the "innovative, time‑saving approach replaced what would otherwise have been many months of lane and speed restrictions, as well as overnight works".

Lane restrictions and a 50mph speed limit remain in place as crews complete the remaining work.

The council is working with National Highways and contractor VolkerFitzpatrick on the project, which is funded by the Buckland Group, the developer of Welborne Garden Village, which will eventually have 6,000 homes.

Ms Bowerman said the "complexity" of the operation could not be "overstated".

She added: "We recognise the inconvenience this has caused for drivers and local residents, and I want to thank everyone for their patience.

"Thanks to the skill of our teams – and favourable weather conditions – construction has progressed smoothly, meaning we can now confirm the motorway will reopen a full day ahead of schedule."

Andrew Jackson, National Highways programme leader, described it as a "very complex operation requiring intense planning, teamwork and close collaboration".

"We are delighted to be able to reopen the M27 earlier than planned and are thankful to all those who worked through Christmas to make this scheme a success," he said.

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