A TRAFFIC expert has expressed concern about part of the proposed design for relieving congestion at one of Winchester’s worst bottlenecks.
As reported in the Chronicle, Highways England wants to carry out major work to the M3 junction 9 – where the M3 meets the A34 – and has developed a scheme set to cost around £100m.
It will be redesigned to create dedicated free-flow lanes, allowing drivers travelling between the M3 and the A34 to avoid using the junction roundabout.
The roundabout itself would be redesigned into a ‘dumbbell’ layout, while improved pedestrian and cycling routes will complete the gap in the National Cycling Network.
Part of the scheme is to maintain a right-hand slip road to the A33 from the A34, but this would involve traffic merging into a stream and moving across lanes to go off to the right.
However, recently retired head of public affairs at the AA, Paul Watters said this could cause “complications”.
He said: “There is quite a lot of weaving, and that is notoriously difficult when there are high speeds. It depends if there is a speed restriction or not.”
When asked whether maintaining the right-hand A33 slip road would pose a risk to drivers, Mr Watters replied: “It is possible it might be. For people on the A34 they would need to be conscious of traffic joining from Winchester roundabout and people moving across.
“It adds a complexity that the highways authority would want to do something about.
“It will be fully risk assessed, and it is down to drivers to be observant and also good signage and gantry over the road.
“It is early days for the design but it does add complications.”
Also speaking about scheme, councillor Jackie Porter said: “The southbound lane from the A33 has the M3 slip coming in from the left to join the A33 traffic, and the A33 traffic has to cross the M3 lane if it is going ahead or left.
“People watching the video [shared by Highway’s England] are concerned that the local traffic will have to feed into the M3 traffic in such a short time before the junction, and will have already crossed or joined lanes of fast traffic from the A34 – feeling rather like a tortoise running through into a chicane of motorway-speed hares.
“I am urging the public to express this concern to the Highways England team right now to ensure it is sorted out.
“We are also painting out how well-used the A33 bike and walk path is and would like it to be restored to a full cycle path right through to the Cart and Horses junction.
“The public has a way of seeing things that Highways engineers don’t – so I welcome all comments that could refine what looks in principle like an innovative scheme.”
The plan was originally delayed by Highways bosses to avoid a clash with other schemes it is running.
It was due to start in March 2020 but was pushed back to mid-2021. It is set to be fully open to traffic by 2023.
Public consultation events will be held on January 27 at Winchester Guildhall, 10.30am to 4.30pm; and on January 31, 2pm to 8pm; February 10 at Winnall Community Centre, 10.30am to 4.30pm; February 16 at Kings Worthy Community Centre, 2pm to 8pm; and February 17, 10.30pm to 4.30pm.
The deadline for responses is February 19.
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