M3 junction upgrade proposals wins strong public support

Plans for a major upgrade of junction 9 of the M3 motorway at Winchester have attracted overwhelming support at a public consultation.

Some 96% of respondents backed the need for the improvements to this junction, which will be redesigned to create a dedicated free flow lanes, which will allow drivers travelling between the M3 and the A34 to avoid using the junction roundabout.

The roundabout will be rebuilt to allow for the additional lanes to run through it, with the aim of making it easier for traffic to interchange between the M3 and the A34. This will reduce queuing and make journey times more reliable, according to Simon Hewett, project manager at Highways England.

“More than 110,000 vehicles use this busy junction each day to interchange with the A34 and routes into Winchester, often more than 6,000 each hour during peak times,”’ he said. “Regular road users know that often becomes congested, with queues backing up onto the main carriageway.

“The upgrade to M3 junction 9 will create new dedicated link roads to separate out local and long distance traffic. Through traffic will not have to stop at the roundabout, freeing it up for local traffic and commuters.”

The changes will improve access for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians, with the upgrade including a new 4m-wide cycle path and a new footpath next to the cycleway connecting to the River Itchen, said Hewett.

He added: “We are aware of people’s concerns about traffic merging between the A34 and A33; this was the most common point raised during the consultation period and we are reviewing a number of options to address this.”

Work on the upgrade is due to start in the 2021, subject to statutory processes. The upgraded junction is expected to be fully open to traffic in 2023.