OVERNIGHT closures will be imposed on the M3 for nearly a month to allow for resurfacing work.

The M3 southbound will be closed from junction 7 at Dummer to junction 9 at Winnall at Winchester overnight, between 9pm and 6am, from Tuesday February 20 for 18 nights, Monday to Friday only.

It is due to finish on Thursday March 15.

A signed diversion will be in place via the A33 from Basingstoke to Kings Worthy.

Further south between junctions 11-12, Compton to Chandler’s Ford, resurfacing takes place on both north and southbound carriageways.

The southbound carriageway will be closed overnight, between 9pm and 6am, this Monday, February 19.

Northbound will then be closed overnight, between 9pm-6am, on Tuesday, February 20.

Traffic will be diverted via Otterbourne and Shawford.

In addition, lane closures will be in place on the southbound M3 between 9pm and 6am, from Wednesday February 21 for three nights.

The inconvenience will be relatively trivial compared to the major disruption when a 10-mile stretch of the M3 from junction 9 at Winnall to junction 14 at Eastleigh is converted into a ‘smart’ motorway in a £139 million project due to start in March 2020 and set to last two years.

Highways England says it will provide greater capacity by using the hard shoulder at rush hour, improve traffic flow, cut journey times and reduce accidents.