CONSTRUCTION is set to begin next week on the huge project to revamp the M3 at the Winnall roundabout in Winchester.
Speaking at a public event on Saturday, March 15, National Highways representatives explained the impact the works are likely to have on drivers.
Assistant project manager Nicole Montague said: "We've started our early works already, and we're kicking off full construction next week. So the public can expect to see some cameras going out soon."
These cameras will be similar to the average speed cameras in use on certain parts of the M25.
READ MORE: M3 Junction 9: Government approve funding for improvement at Winnall
She added: "Once the contraflow starts in mid-April – that's where we switch over the traffic to one side of the M3 – that will be a 50mph limit."
The public information event took place outside the Winnall Tesco, and National Highways will host another one in the same place today, March 17.
The scheme, which has had £290m of funding confirmed from the government, aims to tackle congestion at Junction 9 by increasing the number of lanes from three to four through the junction as it passes under a wider gyratory, with free-flowing links between the M3 and the A34 in both directions.
The transport minister Heidi Alexander recently visited the site's work compound near Winchester to discuss the project.
She said: “People want to live in this part of the country, so it is really important that we match the development that is happening with new infrastructure. I know people who live in Winchester who are coming home, perhaps after a day at work or a visit with friends, could spend up to 20 minutes trying to traverse this junction.
SEE ALSO: M3 Junction 9 scheme 'absolutely critical' says Heidi Alexander
"And so, tackling that congestion is really important for the quality of life for local people, but it is also about supporting the economy, because if we are building those new homes then we need the capacity to deal with the cars. But it is also a critical part of ensuring our economy is firing on all cylinders because we have the docks down in Southampton.
"If there are lorries picking things up from the docks, dropping stuff off there, businesses want to know that their deliveries are going to be timely, and that is why this interchange is so significant and so important.”
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