A326: Plans progress to upgrade busy New Forest road

The project, originally estimated at £80–100 million, has now grown to around £187 million, with 85 per cent coming from the Department for Transport.

The remaining 15 per cent will need local match funding, which is still being negotiated.

An increased allocation in the council’s 2025/26 budget has revived the scheme, to improve the busy route between Michigan Way in Totton and Main Road in Dibden.

The latest plans include a range of changes designed to ease congestion, make the road safer, and limit environmental impact near the edge of the New Forest National Park.

Work will include widening parts of the road, upgrading junctions, improving crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, and measures to protect sensitive landscapes.

Some major design changes have been announced

A new double-roundabout junction just south of Marchwood will become the main entry point to the village, replacing earlier plans for major work at Twiggs Lane or Staplewood Lane.

Twiggs Lane will be closed to traffic at the A326, and a new School Street will be introduced outside Marchwood Infant School to reduce traffic during drop-off and pick-up times.

At Staplewood Lane, drivers will once again be able to turn right from the A326 southbound, while a controlled crossing and a new ‘Greenway’ into the Forest will be kept.

Roundabouts at Fletchwood Road and Cocklydown Lane will also be redesigned to slow traffic.

Timeline

The Outline Business Case and full planning application will be submitted to Hampshire County Council and the New Forest National Park Authority in early 2026.

Detailed design work is planned from spring 2027 to summer 2028. Enabling works will take place from late 2027 to early 2029, with main construction scheduled from 2029 to the end of 2032.

The scheme update will be officially approved by the Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services on Thursday, December 4.