DRIVERS face a Monday of motoring misery when two major roadwork schemes get under way.

Southampton City Council’s third phase of its reconstruction work on Millbrook Roundabout will start again tomorrow.

At the same time, official work will begin on the M27 smart motorway scheme, which will see speed limits drop to 50mph from junctions four to eight.

Motorists who break the limit will face fines from Monday, when average-speed cameras are switched on.

Highways England, which is carrying out the £250 million motorway work, says the yellow cameras, which measure average speed over a specified distance, will help it carry out the work safely.

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However, it predicts drivers will face a maximum 13-minute delay to journeys due to work.

A spokesperson said: “The road layout will change regularly and lanes will be narrower than normal.

“Having a 50mph speed limit and enforcing it with cameras is a vital part of making sure we can deliver the upgrade safely and enable drivers to get to where they want to be quickly and safely.”

Highways England says initial work on the smart motorway upgrade will be focused on the carriageway between Eastleigh and Bursledon and should be completed by the end of January.

Further work is expected later this year.

Daily Echo: Traffic on the M27 (stock photo)

Southampton City Council, meanwhile, expects its latest Millbrook Roundabout work to last two months.

Now in its the third stage, the penultimate round of the £8.3 million scheme will see the slip-road from Millbrook Road West onto the roundabout shut off, as well as the exit from the roundabout onto First Avenue – which leads to Dock Gate 20.

Millbrook flyover will remain fully open throughout the work.

The final part of the work: phase four, from March to late-April, will see the closure of First Avenue (northbound) up to the roundabout and part of the slip-road onto Redbridge Road up to the junction with Second Avenue.

Daily Echo:

As reported, city transport boss Councillor Jacqui Rayment said: “I would like to thank road users for their patience as we carry out this vital improvement work.

“The team are working hard to deliver this work to the highest standards and on time.

As usual, please ensure you allow extra time for your journeys.”

Before Christmas, the second phase, which started on November 10, required a closure of the north-eastern section of the roundabout at its junction with Tebourba Way (southbound) and the slip-road on to Millbrook Road West.

Southampton City Council says the work is important for the future of the junction.