News Beat
Major UK motorway is shutting for 10 DAYS over Christmas causing getaway misery for millions
A MAJOR UK motorway is closing for 10 days over the festive period causing serious disruptions.
The closure comes as part of a £100million project to upgrade junction 10 near Fareham, Hampshire.
The M27 will be shut down between junctions nine and 11 from 8pm on December 24 until 4am on January 4.
During this time, a ready-made underpass weighing 8,500 tonnes will be placed underneath the highway.
The upgrade is intended to accommodate more traffic for the Welborne Garden Village development, which will include up to 6,000 new houses, schools, and community facilities.
In a bid to create an “all-moves” intersection, the pre-built concrete structure will be slid 65 meters into a hole carved out of the motorway embankment.
The lane above the new underpass will then be rebuilt while the road is closed.
The M27 connects Portsmouth and Southampton via the Solent and travels along Hampshire’s south coast between Cadnam and Cosham.
Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways, told SkyNews: “After months of meticulous planning, we are putting the final preparations in place for what will be a major and complex engineering operation.
“Once the M27 closes from 8pm on Christmas Eve, work will continue around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to complete the job safely and as quickly as possible.”
Drivers have been warned that the diversion route along the A27 will be congested during this time.
Motorists have been advised to plan their journeys ahead and “consider if you need to travel in this area at all”.
Ms Bowerman added: “The work has been planned at a time when traffic levels are lower, but we appreciate it will cause inconvenience, and we thank everyone for their understanding in advance as we deliver these vital improvements.”
