Be Patient: Message to motorists over M27 closure (From Daily Echo)

Warning to motorist over plans to shut M27 this weekend

4:51pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News

ONE of the county's busiest routes will be closed this weekend as essential safety work gets underway.

A stretch of the M27 eastbound will be shut for 32 hours this weekend to allow essential work that will prevent the build up of surface water on the motorway after heavy rain.

Road chiefs insist that the work will save lives by making the road safer for the thousands that use it every day and have reassured motorists that Southampton will be open for business as usual.

The motorway will be closed between junction 4, where it meets the M3, and junction 5, near Eastleigh, leaving motorists forced to take lengthy diversions through Eastleigh and Bassett.

It will be closed from 9pm on Saturday evening, with workmen working through the night, ready for it to be reopened at 5.30am on Monday.

Councillor Asa Thorpe, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Safety improvements on this motorway section will save lives and reduce incidents.

“We thank motorists and residents for their patience and we are doing all we can to keep the city moving.”

During the closure, M3 traffic will be diverted off at junction 14 to follow a diversion via the A33, A27 and A335.

M27 traffic will be diverted onto the northbound M3 to junction 12 to follow a diversion via the A335, Woodside Avenue, Passfield Avenue, Chestnut Avenue and Stoneham Lane.

These roads through Eastleigh were judged to be better equipped to deal with the increased traffic than the route that motorists would have to take if they came off at junction 13.

Long distance traffic heading to Southampton will be encouraged to continue along the M25 to use the A3.