M27 work on £83m resurface scheme 'almost complete' as project moves into final stage
Work on the M27 is “almost complete” as the £83m resurface scheme moves into its final stage.
National Highways has thanked motorists for their “ongoing patience” as the project heads towards the “final phase” of the major resurfacing project between junctions 5 and 7.
National Highways' started its project in March 2024 to overlay the concrete road with low-noise asphalt while improving drainage and enhancing the central reservation for a “smoother, quieter ride”.
Now the authority has announced work is in its final stages, with the motorway expected to be fully open in the spring. A spokesperson for National Highways said: “Work on the M27 westbound carriageway is now almost complete, and all traffic is now running on the new low-noise asphalt surface.
“We recently removed the contraflow lane, which means drivers can now utilise three lanes on the westbound carriageway on approach to junctions 7, 5, and 4 (for the M3) and we're currently in the process of removing hardened areas where traffic crossed over the carriageways.”
Richard Scrase, Programme Delivery Manager at National Highways, said: “We have reached a huge milestone with resurfacing work completed on just over 5km of the motorway. Drainage on the road has also been improved and work completed to make the central reservation safer. You’ll see us removing hardened areas where traffic previously crossed over the carriageways before we then move onto the technology work which will take us to the spring.
“We understand that journey times and congestion have increased since the removal of the contraflow lane on the westbound carriageway and are sorry for the frustration this may have caused. We’ll be carrying out further work overnight on Saturday which will improve traffic flow.
“Closures can be frustrating, and I want to thank road users for their ongoing patience. We only put them in place when necessary for the safety of those travelling and working on the road.”
He continued: “We’ll be working overnight on Saturday to alter the layout which will ease congestion by providing two lanes for M27 traffic, and one lane for those wishing to join the M3 northbound carriageway. The westbound carriageway will be closed from 9pm Saturday to 6am Sunday morning between junctions 5 and 4 for this work to be carried out safely. As always, work of this nature is weather dependent, please check our website for any updates.
“Before we can move into the next phase of work we need to continue removing the large metal barriers, as well as completing a variety of smaller activities. We can only remove barriers under full closures from the eastbound carriageway as we need access to the entire carriageway. Closures of the eastbound carriageway between junctions 4 and 8 will continue overnight from 9pm and 6am until the end of the month.”
National Highways warned that closures can change at short notice. You can check the latest information on its daily closures page or find live travel information on the Traffic England site.
Travel alerts give details of live incidents on the network. See the website for full details of closures and further works being carried out: nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m27-junction-5-to-7-concrete-overlay/