It’s difficult but in the Winchester area £250million seems a reasonable figure, this is Highways for England estimate for its combined expenditure on the Winnall Junction and its attempt to make the M3 into an intelligent’ motorway from there to the M27.

The misery will be four years of diverted traffic, speed restrictions, lane and road closures, and site traffic; this is based on similar developments on the M3 and M4 . Where will all the diverted traffic go as there are no suitable alternative routes because the government has put all its eggs on one basket with the M3. I imagine the residents of Shawford, Otterbourne, Chandler’s Ford, and north west Winchester are in for constant disruption and if recent events are anything to go by the residents of Hursley, Stockbridge, Kings Somborne and Romsey also might well wonder what is keeping them awake at night. It is surprising how many big lumbering noisy HGVs travel overnight and in the early hours to avoid the peak times.

There is an alternative: build a new extension off the A34 direct to the M271, at 15 miles in length it will take all the pressure of the M27, the M3 and Winnall for a considerable time to come. Its construction will inconvenience few and cause no disruption to traffic flows. It could probably be built in a shorter period and on current costings be cheaper when all the additional hidden costs to industry and the general public are taken into account . Where are our local politicians, they are sleep walking into a torrent of complaints whilst showing more interest in blocked drains and trees. I am also surprised that Southampton Docks have not shown more interest these proposals as being a time sensitive industry having their main artery furred up for four years should be of some concern.

Roger Malyn

Winchester