Updated plans for major revamp of M3 Winchester junction go on show

National Highways is to show to the public its updated plans for an upgrade of the M3's junction 9 for Winchester.

They were revised having received feedback during a consultation which took place last year.

The government-owned company will be holding two public events where people can hear more details about the design changes.

The events will take place on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 September, 10am - 4pm at Tesco Extra, Easton Lane, Winchester. An engagement van will be staffed with project team members who will be able to talk through the plans and answer questions.

The M3 connects south Hampshire with London, the Midlands and the North, and junction 9 – which interchanges with the A34, a major route to the South coast ports to and from the Midlands – regularly experiences congestion.

The project will see the M3 widened around the junction to create four traffic lanes in each direction of the M3, as well as free flow connections with the A34.

Roughly 6,000 vehicles an hour go through junction 9 during peak periods and traffic is particularly heavy between the M3 and the A34, with frequent queues on the northbound off-slip of the M3 which are a safety risk.

The new proposed layout for the junction aims to create safer journeys, reduce congestion at the junction making the journey times more reliable and a better environment for walkers.

The scheme is currently at the design stage, with the aim to apply for planning consent later this year.

National Highways senior project manager Jon Roose said: 

“We’re looking forward to showing the updated designs to people and talking through the proposed improvements.

Our plans for the M3 at junction 9 will increase capacity, help reduce journey times and improve safety.

I would urge anyone interested in the scheme to visit our virtual exhibition to find out more about the proposals and how the project team has developed the designs responding to feedback we received at the 2021 consultation.

There are also various ways they can engage the team directly to ask questions or just find out more.”