Motorway to close for bridge demolition
BBCA motorway will close in both directions this weekend so that old bridges can be demolished as part of a major junction upgrade.
The M3 will shut between junctions 8 and 9 near Winchester from 21:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 GMT on Monday, with a second closure on the same times from 6 to 9 November.
National Highways said the £290m project to rebuild junction 9 had reached its halfway point and was on track to finish in summer 2028.
It said crews would work "24-7 throughout the whole weekend" to safely remove the structures.
The two old gyratory bridges are coming down now that two new, wider bridges are in place and being used by traffic.
The northern bridge will be demolished this weekend and the southern bridge during the November closure.
Drivers will be directed along a signed diversion route between the two junctions.
Removing them and their concrete supports will allow the M3 to be widened to four lanes in each direction.
Two underpasses are also being built to create free-flowing links between the A34 and M3, meaning drivers will no longer need to use the roundabout to switch between the two.
Senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said: "A lot of traffic comes north from Southampton and Portsmouth, a lot of hauliers.
"They'll be able to flow freely through the junction."
National Highways has said peak-time journeys through the junction will be almost 30% faster once the work is complete.
The scheme also includes new routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, and a new footbridge over the River Itchen.
The northbound entry slip road at junction 9 has been closed since July and is due to reopen in winter 2027.