WINCHESTER MP Steve Brine met Highways England in Parliament to discuss the major scheme to revamp Junction 9 of the M3.

He was briefed on the feedback gathered during the recent consultation that threw up safety issues.

The scheme will remove the Winnall roundabout but mean that northbound traffic leaving Winnall and wanting to access the northbound A33 having to cut across carriageways of fast-moving traffic.

Highways England will soon publish a report as stage two draws to a close ahead of the preferred route announcement, expected in June.

Mr Brine discussed the issue with with Neil Andrew and Simon Hewett , senior project managers from Highways England, on the Terrace at the House of Commons.

He pushed for changes to be made around the A34/A33 crossover for motorists travelling from Easton Lane towards Kings Worthy; fears about the safety of this manoeuvre were consistently raised by residents and local organisations during the consultation, including from Winchester City Council.

Other subjects for discussion included the protection, and enhancement, of the NCN23 cycle route which passes through the junction and continued engagement with the South Downs National Park who have objected to the scheme.

Mr Brine said: “I have been clear for years that this scheme is badly-needed but we need to keep on making the strategic case given the long gestation period and clear local as well as regional importance of getting this sorted.

“The proposals are generally excellent and will give my constituents a very real benefit but we need change on the A34/A33 issue and I was pleased to discuss that in some detail.

“We all look forward to seeing the preferred route and, in due course next year, the development consent process get underway.”

Work is due to begin on-site in the summer of 2021.

It will help to allay the bottleneck which has developed since the removed of Hockley traffic lights in the early 1990s.