Motorway closures to support new garden village

A series of motorway closures related to £115m improvement works supporting the construction of a new garden village will begin later.

Full and partial overnight lane closures are scheduled on the M27 in Hampshire throughout March and April, though speed limits will be in place for about 12 months.

The nearby Welborne Garden Village development near Fareham, Hampshire, will eventually have 6,000 homes.

The improvements to Junction 10 will provide easier access to the motorway from the new development. Some closures are between Junctions 9 and 10, while others extend to Junction 11.

Hampshire County Council is delivering the scheme, working with National Highways. It is funded by the village's developer Buckland Group, and by Homes England.

The council said the traffic management was necessary to "safely reduce the number of lanes on the motorway from four to three".

"This ensures the safety of passing motorway users and construction staff working on the embankments, particularly around the area of a new underpass which will be delivered by the scheme," it said.

The lane reduction and 50mph speed limit will be in place for about 12 months while the main project is underway.

The M27 will have lane closures in place overnight on 13 occasions, with works including drainage surveys, barrier installations, and the delivery of large metal construction materials.

A full overnight closure eastbound will take place between Junctions 9 and 11 from Sunday 30 March from 21:00, until 06:00 on Monday, with a contingency date on the night of Thursday 3 April if needed.

The westbound closure between Junctions 11 and 9 is scheduled for the night of Monday 31 March, with a contingency of Friday 4 April.

A 50mph speed restriction and safety cameras will be installed on the carriageways during the closures. Diversions will be in place.

Welborne's developers claim it will be one of the largest private housing developments of its kind in the UK.

It is being built on 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of mostly farmland north of Fareham.

Construction has begun on the first wave of 474 homes, and will start in the autumn on the village centre, including a primary school, GP surgery and pharmacy, nursery, pub/hotel, cafes, shops, and sports facilities.

In January 2017, it was confirmed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as one of 14 garden villages being built nationwide.

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