CONTROVERSIAL plans to install traffic lights on the South's motorway slip roads have been unveiled today.

But the scheme could spark motorway misery for thousands of drivers across the region, it has been warned.

The new lights would be placed along the M3 and M27 under the £3.5 million government pilot scheme.

The Highways Agency wants to put traffic lights around Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester to stop vehicles joining the trunk roads when they are busy.

It claims traffic filtering will lessen motor-way congestion and reduce accidents.

Hampshire County Council has said it may introduce similar measures elsewhere.

But the move has been slammed by the motoring industry.

An AA spokeswoman said similar projects on the M6 had caused delays. She said: "It's not ideal because, in an ideal world, we would like adequate capacity on the roads to cope with the traffic."

Long-distance lorry driver Colin Moore, 55, said it was expense for the sake of it.

Under the scheme, sensors on the motorways detect the heaviness of traffic flow.

At peak periods, the traffic lights are triggered to stagger vehicles joining clogged carriageways.

Junction 11 on the M3 and junctions three, five, seven, 10, 11 and 12 on the M27 are to have the systems installed within the next eight months.

Hampshire Police spokesman chief inspector Roy Harrison said: "We were very surprised when we heard the proposal and couldn't understand how it could work. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating."

But Friends of the Earth transport spokesman Roger Higman thought it would bring order to motorway junctions: "Those people queuing will lose a bit of time, but gain it when they get onto the motorway.

"As long as the slip roads are in the middle of open countryside or away from houses, it will not create a pollution problem."

See tonight's Daily Echo, pages 6 and 7, for an indepth report and your views on the plans.

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