A HUGE stretch of the A31 through the New Forest is to close overnight for almost two months.

Miles of the busy dual carriageway will be shut between 9pm and 6am from next month early next month.

Advance warning of the closures has revealed contractors will carry out a range of works to the road.

The closures are as follows:

  • Overnight closure of the westbound carriageway of the A31 between the M27 junction 2 (for Salisbury and Fawley) and Picket Post
  • Overnight closure of the eastbound carriageway of the A31 between the Ashley Heath roundabout and the M27 junction 1 (for Cadnam)
  • Overnight closure of all side roads at the junctions of those stretches

There will also be a 50 mile per hour speed limit in place on:

The westbound carriageway of the A31 between a point 100 metres east of the entry sliproad at M27 junction 1 and a point 200 metres east of the exist sliproad at Picket Post

The eastbound carriageway of the A31 between a point 2,000 metres east of the entry sliproad at Picket Post and a point 100 metres east of the entry sliproad at M27 junction 1

All sliproads leading two and from those stretches

Officials from Highways England said: “These measures would be in the interests of road safety while contractors undertake installation of new emergency crossing points, carriageway works, highways maintenance works and all other associated works.”

The work is set to begin on Monday, October 7. It will continue for around seven weeks.

Traffic will be diverted using the A36 and the A338.

It comes just over three months after the road was shut at night for much of July.

The summertime closures, which were in force between 9am and 6pm, affected the road from junction 2 of the M27 to Ringwood.

None of next month’s works are likely to coincide with closures of Blackwater Junction.

As reported, the major junction will close between 8am and 6pm on a number of weeknights to allow engineers to begin their preparations for the installation of new traffic lights and kerbs, as well as road widening and surfacing works.