Storm Darragh: A34 closed in both directions near Winchester for emergency works
A busy A-road has been closed for emergency works following concerns of debris on the carriageway.
At 10.30pm last night (Friday, December 6) an emergency closure was put in place between junction 9, near Winchester, to the junction with the A272 at Three Maids Hill.
This closure is to allow emergency work to remove trees close to the carriageway which present a potential safety risk to the public with current high winds. The closure is expected to remain in place throughout the weekend.
Robert Bell, National Highways’ network operations manager for the South East, said: “Safety is our priority and we are undertaking this emergency work to help keep road users safe.
“We apologise for any disruption, but the circumstances of Storm Darragh – and the high winds we are expecting over the next 48 hours – has prioritised this work.
“I can reassure people that our contractors are working at pace and in challenging conditions to minimise inconvenience for those who regularly use this road by carrying out the work overnight and across the weekend when traffic levels are at their lightest.
“We believe the road will remain closed tomorrow, but at this early stage I am unable to provide a timeline for when it will be reopened. A decision on that will only be made when we are confident the road is safe is to use.”
Luke Hindle, National Highways’ Duty Manager, said: “The conditions we are seeing across certain parts of the country remain very challenging, but we are doing everything we can to keep the country moving where it is safe to do so.
“Any closure is only put in place to protect the safety of the travelling public.
“While we continue to see the effects of Storm Darragh, we would encourage drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys and consider if their journey is necessary and if it could be delayed until conditions improve.”