£290 million upgrade for M3 confirmed
The Government says it will help to cut rush hour traffic on the stretch near Winchester
Plans for a £290 million project to cut journey times on the M3 could be completed within three years, according to the Transport Secretary.
Heidi Alexander has been speaking after proposals for junction 9 of the motorway near Winchester were given the green light.
The Department for Transport has said the project will make peak time journeys through the A272 into the city as much as 30% faster.
Ministers have given the go ahead to the project as part of a wider drive to unblock vital transport infrastructure development.
The scheme is also essential to building 2,000 new homes in Winchester, as part of a bid to deliver 1.5 million homes in the next five years.
Ms Alexander, who visited the site on Thursday (March 13th), said:
"Anyone who uses this junction knows how frustrating it can be. But our £290m investment will save thousands of hours for commuters, tourists and freight every week, unlocking the true potential of our ports to deliver economic growth.
"We’re building rather than blocking, so that we can get our economy growing. Approving these works, and the 2,000 homes it will support, is just another milestone on the way to delivering 1.5 million homes in this Parliament as part of our Plan for Change.
"This Government is investing in vital road schemes with huge economic benefits, and so far we’ve invested half a billion pounds for six schemes across England to renew our long neglected national infrastructure."
The junction is a key interchange for economic growth, connecting the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth to ship millions of tonnes of freight every year, providing a vital link for those travelling to the South coast and beyond.
The new design will also improve safety; by extending the southbound slip road onto the M3 so traffic has more time to join the motorway.
What's being done?
The scheme will see the number of lanes on the M3 increased from three to four through the junction, as it passes under a wider gyratory, with free-flowing links between the M3 and the A34 in both directions.
Several new, safer routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders will also be built, connecting Kings Worthy and Winnall and Long Walk and Easton Lane.
The area will also see benefits to the environment, as National Highways will be introducing 22.2 acres (equivalent to 13 football pitches) of ancient chalk grassland, a species-rich grass that grows on top of chalk and is said to be Europe's equivalent of tropical rainforest.
Since the Second World War, 80% of these grasslands have been lost.
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