It has been more than two weeks since the beginning of an £83 million project to resurface the M27 between Junctions 5 and 7, which aims to provide a smoother and quieter ride for motorists.

The scheme, which will take two years to complete, will overlay the concrete surface with 180mm of low noise black asphalt.

The works, which have resulted in a narrowing of lanes and the implementation of a 50 mph speed limit, are expected to continue until spring 2026.

The Echo spoke to locals shopping at West Quay, in order to gauge public opinions of the scheme.

Respondents were divided on whether the roadworks were necessary in the first place. David Farrow, a 74-year-old retiree from Locks Heath said that the smoothing “had to be done” and Vince Burton, a 61-year-old from Regents Park, agreed that “the surface did need to be rectified.”

Daily Echo: David Farrow, 74David Farrow, 74 (Image: NQ)

But Alfie Brown, a 19-year-old from the Hamble Area, said that “it never really phased me…it wasn’t bumpy at all and I didn’t think there were any issues.”

The people we spoke to all felt that the ends don't justify the means in terms of the two years of disruption.

Vince said that the disruptions were “not at all” worth it, and questioned why the resurfacing work wasn’t done when the M27 was recently converted into a smart motorway.

He said: “It just seems like a waste of money because they could have done it when they were making the lanes wider at the time and now it’s going to take two years to do.”

Alfie says that the narrow lanes are dangerous, “especially when people have new cars, and don’t quite appreciate their width”, but Vince and David think that safety issues are primarily the result of drivers ignoring the 50 mph speed limit.

Despite the disruptions, people’s travel routines seemed largely unchanged, as, in the words of 58-year-old Sean Mackenzie, people “have no other choice.”