"Extra traffic" expected through Fareham as M27 to close over Christmas causing delays - when and how long
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Increased activities on the roads in Fareham are expected due to a major motorway being closed over Christmas.
Fareham Police have issued a reminder to motorists ahead of the planned closure of the M27 in both directions. This will start from 8pm today (December 24) until 4am on January 4.
“Reminder: The M27 will close between Junction 9 and Junction 11 (in both directions) from the 24th December until the 4th January,” Fareham Police said. “Please be aware of the extra traffic through Fareham during this period.”
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Engineers will be excavating 24,000 tonnes of material in order to build a new underpass. A massive 8,500-tonne concrete box will be slid into place using hydraulic jacks. These will be used to push the box along using 364 steel cables to get it into position.
Once the new underpass has been put into position, the embankments will be backfilled and reinstated using approximately 6,000 tonnes of material. The M27’s surface will then be restored. Hampshire County Council said this “innovative time-saving technique” allows for the works to be completed quickly without months of lane closures, speed restrictions, and overnight works.
Drivers can exit the M27 westbound (from Portsmouth) at Junction 11 (Fareham) and eastbound (from Southampton) at Junction 9 (Whiteley), but there will be no entry westbound (to Southampton) at Junction 11 or eastbound (to Portsmouth) at Junction 9 during the closure.
The installation of a concrete underpass at junction 10 is linked to the Welborne Garden Village development. Once complete, the new four-lane underpass will provide a direct connection between Fareham and the future Welborne Garden Village.
Cllr Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways, previously said: “We appreciate that closing the motorway for ten days over the Christmas period is not ideal, but it is actually the best time to do it. We analysed traffic levels on the M27 at this time of year and they are about a third less than during normal conditions.
“There will inevitably be delays and we are sorry for that, but the A27 is the diversion route and traffic lights have been prioritised to help traffic flow along it. This will be for a short period of time, and while we understand it will inconvenience some people, we have liaised with emergency services and other organisations so they are aware of what is happening and the impact the closure may have. Diversion routes are available.”