M27: Carriageway closures on Hilsea interchange junction 12, Portsmouth, for "essential" bridge repairs - when
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“Essential repairs” are being carried out to bridges near a major interchange soon.
Engineers at National Highways will be restoring two bridges at the Hilsea interchange for junction 12 of the M27. The project is due to start on June 5 and is expected to last until November.
Lane one will be closed overnight between 8pm and 6am throughout June, with lane three being shut during the same time period throughout July and early August. Full carriageway closures are also planned for August.
A statement on the National Highways website said: “Essential repairs start soon on two bridges near the M27 Junction 12 Hilsea Interchange. Known locally as the IBM bridges, one carries the M27 carriageway eastbound and the other westbound, near the Portbridge Roundabout.
“The work will include replacing both bridges’ expansion joints: these allow for the expansion / contraction of bridge decks, caused by temperature variations and traffic movement.”
Upgrades will also be made to the drainage systems, with kerb drainage systems being replaced. The bridge decks will be re-waterproofed and resurfaced, with the concrete underneath the walkways being replaced.
National Highways added: “For safety, there will be a lane one closure in both directions from 8pm Thursday night through to 6am Monday morning on both bridges throughout June. This will then change to lane three throughout July and early August.
“We'll also need some overnight, full carriageway closures in August. We'll do this in one direction at a time to limit disruption to traffic as much as possible. In September to the end of November, we'll need some full weekend closures. We'll do this in one direction at a time to limit disruption to traffic as much as possible. We'll update this web page with full dates/details once they're confirmed.”
The government-owned company said the works cost roughly £5m. They added: “The new expansion joints and re-waterproofing will substantially improve the longevity of the two bridges.”