ESSENTIAL road works are to be carried out on the motorway near Winchester.

On Monday and Tuesday (July 14-15) the southbound carriageway of the M3 will be closed overnight, between junctions 8 and 9, as will the northbound carriageway on Wednesday and Thursday (July 16-17).

Highways Agency project manager Guy Watts said: “We will be repainting the road markings on the M3 between junctions 8 and 9 to keep journeys safe and reliable. To minimise disruption we will close one carriageway at a time and have planned the work to take place overnight, when we know traffic flows are lowest.”

The works will be carried out between the hours of 10pm-6am and there will be diversion routes in place via the A34 and A303.