M3 junction 9 improvements

Latest updates

• 24 November 2023

  Our proposals reach next stage of the DCO process

  Good news - we’ve now reached the next stage of our DCO (Development Consent Order) for the M3 Junction 9 Improvement Scheme. We’re now entering the ‘Recommendation and Decision’ stage - this process takes six months, with a decision from the Secretary of State for Transport expected by May 2024. Should the DCO be granted, we will start construction in early 2025.

  Changes to junction 9 will bring a host of benefits. Read about these across this project page where you can find out more about the improvements that have been put forward and how they will benefit road users and businesses, as well as leaving a legacy of environmental enhancements for years to come.

• 29 August 2023

  Survey work continues

  We’re continuing with some overnight ground investigations and survey work while the examination of our DCO application to improve junction 9 on the M3 gets underway.
  
  These will take place between 9pm and 6am between Monday 4 to Friday 8 September 2023.

  The A33 will be closed southbound from the B3047 to the M3. Drivers wishing to join the motorway will be diverted via B3047, A31 and Spitfire Link.

  The A34 will be fully closed in both directions between the junction 9 roundabout and the A272 at Three Maids Hill. Motorway drivers for the A34 northbound will be diverted via M3 and A303 or via Easton Lane. Non-motorway drivers will be diverted through local routes where they can join the A34 at Three Maids Hill.

• 03 July 2023

  Land and utility surveys

  While the examination of our DCO application gets underway, we’re continuing to collect data from land and utility surveys to help us with our detailed design.

  Over the next few months, there will be some overnight road closures to carry out these surveys.

  We’re also working closely with communities and taking part in careers events at local schools. If you think we can help by giving a talk or lending a extra pair of hands, please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

  Upcoming closures

  • Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 July – the M3 southbound exit slip and A272 southbound exit from the junction 9 roundabout will be closed overnight (9pm to 6am). Drivers will be diverted via junction 11, B3407 and A31.

  Related closures

  • The M3 will be closed for resurfacing overnight between junctions 7 and 9 from Monday 17 July until early August. Please visit our maintenance page for more information. 
  • The southbound exit slip at junction 13 near Eastleigh will be closed from 9pm on Friday 14 to 6am on Monday 17 July with overnight lane closures on the Friday and Sunday night.
  • The A34 will be closed northbound overnight (9pm to 6am) between the M3 junction 9 roundabout and the A272 at Three Maids Hill from Wednesday 26 July until the morning of Wednesday 2 August 2023.

• 23 May 2023

  DCO Examination begins

  A Preliminary Meeting was held on Tuesday 16 May 2023 by the Planning Inspectorate to discuss the Examination of the Development Consent Order (DCO) for our proposed improvements.

  An Open Floor Hearing was held on Wednesday 17 May 2023 for any Interested Party to make a spoken representation about the application directly to the Examining Authority.

  The Planning Inspectorate now has up to six months to carry out the Examination. Interested Parties who have registered by making a Relevant Representation will be invited to provide more details of their views in writing.

  Learn more about the DCO process

  For the most up to date information, please visit the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

  Survey work

  We’ve recently carried out a number of different surveys to help us with our detailed design.

  You may have seen us working during the day, drilling boreholes, and digging trenches to investigate the different types of materials below ground and analyse the time it takes water to drain away naturally.

  We’ve also been testing the strength of the M3 and A34 carriageways using a special weight and piece of equipment called a deflectograph to measure the impact it has on the road surface.

  We did our land surveys during the day and only worked on the road at night to keep disruption to a minimum.

  Winchester Bypass maintenance

  On Wednesday 24 June, there will be closures of the A33 and A34 overnight heading north while our maintenance teams carry out inspections on the bridge over the River Itchen ahead of work due to start here in July 2023.

  For more information, please visit our maintenance page.

• 07 March 2023

  DCO progress, overnight closures and surveys

  Our Development Consent Order (DCO) application was accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate in December last year. A DCO is a special kind of planning permission required for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.  

  The period for registering as an Interested Party closed on 13 March.

  Relevant representations will shortly be published on the M3 junction 9 project page on the National Infrastructure Planning website.

  Over the coming weeks, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the draft timetable for the Examination period.

  Learn more about the process

  At the end of the Examination period, the Examining Authority (a group appointed by the Planning Inspectorate to look through our application) submit a report to the Secretary of State for Transport. This report includes a recommendation on whether to grant the scheme.

  If our DCO is accepted, construction could start as early as 2024/25.

  Read more in our latest newsletter

  Upcoming closures

  We need to carry out ground surveys to help us continue with our detailed design.

  We’ll do these using overnight closures on weeknights (usually between 9pm and 6am) when there’s less traffic on the road.  

  Tuesday 21 to Thursday 30 March

  • The M3 will be closed northbound between junction 10 and 9. Drivers will be diverted via A31, B3047 and A34

   Friday 31 March to Wednesday 5 April

  • The M3 will be closed southbound between junction 9 and 10. Drivers will be diverted via A272 and A31

  Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 April

  • The M3 southbound exit slip and A272 southbound exit from the junction 9 roundabout will be closed. Drivers will be diverted via junction 11 and B3407 and A31

• 15 December 2022

  Development Consent Order accepted for examination

  The Government’s independent planning authority, the Planning Inspectorate, has accepted our Development Consent Order application for examination, meaning that plans to improve junction 9 on the M3 can now move forward to the next stage.
  
  View the decision documents and register as an Interested Party on the Planning Inspectorate website

  What happens next?

  The decision means we’ve submitted all the information needed for our application to move into the examination stage. The Planning Inspectorate will have around three months to prepare for this. Should consent be granted, construction could start as early as 2024/25.
  
  In the early part of 2023, we’ll be carrying out some engineering and ecology surveys to monitor local wildlife and assist with the design of the project.
  
  This may require temporary road closures and diversions. Please continue to check our website or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest information.

• 21 November 2022

  DCO application submitted

  Our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate has been submitted.

  We’ll know whether our application has been accepted by the end of 2022. This does not mean that our application has been approved – instead the Planning Inspectorate decides whether we have submitted all the information needed for our application to move into the pre-examination stage.

  Keep following this page for more updates.

• 20 September 2022

  Key changes to our design

  We’ve been reviewing the comments from our last consultation and have made some key design and environmental changes to our scheme.

  You can view our current plans, see the changes and look at our proposed timeline in our new online information portal.

  Public engagement events

  For anyone who would like to meet the team in person, we will be holding two public information events at Tesco Extra, Easton Lane, Winchester, SO23 7RS on:

  • Sunday 25 September from 10am until 4pm
  • Monday 26 September from 10am until 4pm

  Free parking is available on site, we look forward to meeting you.
  
  We’ll continue to carry out surveys of local flora and fauna. We’ve recently completed dormice and bat surveys and have been looking for white clawed crayfish. It’s important that we know about our neighbours so that we can protect their habitats and work around them.
  
  You can still contact us in the usual way by emailing m3junction9improvements@nationalhighways.co.uk or calling 0300 123 5000.
  
  The best way to stay up to date is by signing up to receive our email updates.

• 21 June 2022

  Summer Newsletter

  In our latest newsletter, we talk about progress on the scheme, why we’re reviewing our designs and some of the environmental work we’re doing.

  We're continuing to refine our design and aim to apply for consent to make our improvements by Spring 2023 at the latest. We will update you when we’ve made our application and let you know the outcome from the Planning Inspectorate. We will also be in touch before then to keep you updated about the project.

  Read more and subscribe to our newsletter

• 09 May 2022

  Development Consent Order update

  We’re applying for development consent for improvements to junction 9 later than we originally announced. We’re now looking to apply by Spring 2023 at the latest. This gives us time to consider how our design will tie-in with the existing road layout as opposed to a smart motorway layout.

  Earlier this year, Government asked National Highways to pause all smart motorway projects that were in their early stages, including the M3 J9-14 project. The pause on M3 J9-14 means we must adapt the designs and materials we submit to the Planning Inspectorate as part of our application for consent to improve junction 9.

  We’re applying later than originally planned but this allows us time to adapt some parts of our design so that when we come to submit our application for consent to improve junction 9 to the Planning Inspectorate, it has all the information needed to fully consider our application.

  We’re working hard to gather and analyse additional data so we can submit our application as soon as possible, with next Spring being the latest.

  We’re committed to making sure our application is as comprehensive and complete as possible.

  The delay in applying for consent to build means our date for starting construction will also be later

  If you have any queries about this update, please contact us by phone on:0300 123 5000 or by email: m3j9improvements@nationalhighways.co.uk

• 22 December 2021

  Additional consultation after changes to land boundary

  A statutory consultation was previously held between 27 May and 8 July 2021.

  We listened to the feedback and the responses received, and as a result have developed our proposals further. This means a small amount of additional land is needed and we’ve had to change the Indicative Application Boundary.

  Due to these changes, before submitting our Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Secretary of State for Transport in 2022, we have had to consult with people that have a legal interest in the land that may be compulsory acquired by the Scheme. This consultation took place between 17 November and 22 December 2021.

  The changes planned at M3 junction 9 are a critical part of our ongoing investment in the strategic road network and will improve journey times between south Hampshire and London via the M3 and the midlands and the north via the A34.

  Further information about the Planning Act 2008 process and Development Consent Orders can be found on the Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website: http://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/

• 09 November 2021

  Consultation summary report now available

  Following our community consultation on the project design that ran for six weeks from 27 May to 8 July 2021, we have written a Consultation Summary Report.

  As set out in 2021 Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC), the summary report contains the initial feedback and views from the community and its stakeholders all of which will help us to develop proposals further and understand any concerns about the project ahead of the DCO (Development Consent Order) application.

  What happens now?

  We will continue to develop our proposals further for the DCO submission, that will include a longer Consultation Report that summarises all the feedback we received and how it has informed the development of the scheme. Although the Secretary of State for Transport will decide whether to give permission for the scheme, local planning authorities such as Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority have an important role to play in the process. We’ve already been talking to them about our proposals and will continue to engage before, during and after we submit the DCO to the government, via the Planning Inspectorate, which is likely to happen in early 2022.

  The Planning Inspectorate will then examine the DCO application, with input from interested parties and statutory consultees. The examination period is a maximum of six months. Following the examination, the Planning Inspectorate will present its recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, who will then make the final decision on whether the DCO should be granted. We’ll carry on working on our detailed design throughout this process and, assuming the DCO application is successful, we expect to start construction work by mid to late 2023.

• 19 July 2021

  Consultation now closed

  The consultation on our latest designs for junction 9 is now closed.

  All responses will now be reviewed and addressed in a Public Consultation Summary Report, which will be available on this webpage later this year. We will then look to submit our planning application in early 2022, with a decision to be made by the Secretary of State in 2023.

  If we’re given permission to build the scheme we hope to start in 2023.

  You can continue to view the latest designs, watch a fly-through and get information on the measures we're taking to protect the surrounding environment, by clicking on the consultation webpage.

  Consultation webinar recordings

  We hosted a series of webinars on particular topics between Wednesday 2 June and Thursday 17 June. Below are links to the recordings:

  • Webinar 1 – Introduction to the Proposed Scheme and Next Steps
  • Webinar 2 – Our Proposals: What we are planning to do
  • Webinar 3 – Our Effect on the Environment: An Overview
  • Webinar 4 – Our Effect on the Environment: Landscape, Habitats and Wildlife
  • Webinar 5 – Our Effect on the Environment: Air Quality and Noise

  If the subtitles do not automatically appear when you open the video, you can click on the 'Settings' icon (in the bottom right corner of the You-tube video screen), click on 'Subtitles', then select 'English.

• 27 May 2021

  We're consulting on our proposals for this junction

  

  Visit our virtual room and see our latest designs, watch a fly-through and get information on the measures we're taking to protect the surrounding environment. Then take part in our consultation by giving us your thoughts and leaving your feedback by filling in our questionnaire.

  We're also hosting a series of webinars on particular topics. These are free and open to everyone:

  Introduction to the M3 Junction 9 improvement scheme and next steps - Wednesday 2 June, 7.00pm – 8.00pm and Saturday 5 June 3.30pm – 4.30pm

  Our proposals – what we are planning to do - Tuesday 8 June, 9.30am – 10.30am and Thursday 17 June 7.00pm – 8.00pm

  Our effect on the environment: overview - Thursday 10 June 7.00pm – 8.00pm

  Our effect on the environment: landscape, visual impacts, wildlife and habitats Monday 14 June 7.00pm – 8.00pm

  Our effect on the environment: air quality and noise Tuesday 15 June 7.00pm – 8.00pm

  You can register for an online webinar and submit your questions in advance by emailing M3junction9Improvements@highwaysengland.co.uk or calling 0300 123 5000. 

  Speak to our team

  Our team will be available Monday to Friday between midday to 7pm and Saturday between 10am to 4pm throughout the consultation period (27 May until 8 July) to discuss our proposals and to answer any questions you may have. You can book an appointment by emailing M3Junction9Improvements@highwaysengland.co.uk or call 0300 123 5000.

  If you'd like a paper copy of any of the consultation documents, we can send these to you. Please note there may be a charge of up to £200 (including postage) for a paper copy of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report. All other consultation documents are available free of charge either in hard copy or digitally on a USB.

  Please email: M3Junction9Improvements@highwaysengland.co.uk or call 0300 123 5000 to request a consultation document for delivery.

• 01 April 2020

  Further public consultations

  A full report on our 2019 design consultation will be available in spring 2020. We aim to go back out to public consultation with a further refined set of proposals later in 2020.

• 19 March 2020

  Proposal review

  We consulted the public on our proposals for improving junction 9 of the M3 in summer 2019. The feedback received during that consultation showed there is widespread support for changes to the junction which will reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.

  Following feedback from our 2018 consultation, we made improvements on the A34/A33 northbound weaving lengths. In further feedback received in the 2019 summer consultation events, some people told us that they continued to be worried that weaving lengths northward of the new junction along the A34 were not long enough.

  We have taken that feedback into account, along with new information from additional traffic modelling, and are now reviewing our original proposals. By doing this we’re making sure our final designs are for an even better performing junction.