BUSINESS chiefs have said they fully support plans to improve Winchester’s worst bottleneck, citing severe impact on local firms caused by the chronic congestion, writes Ella Griffiths.

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce has responded to a consultation by Highways England on proposals for a multi-million pound upgrade to M3 junction 9 at Winnall, the interchange with the A34.

The roundabout itself would be redesigned into a ‘dumbbell’ layout to reduce congestion and improve safety, while improved pedestrian and cycling routes will complete the gap in the National Cycling Network. Work is currently set to begin in mid-2021.

The public has raised some concerns about the danger of the A34 road layout where it meets through traffic on the northbound M3.

In its response to the consultation, business chiefs said: “Hampshire Chamber of Commerce fully supports Highways England in this proposal.

“Our members are having their businesses affected on a daily basis by the inefficiency of this junction.

“We want to support Highways England in any way we can in order to ensure that this project is delivered in the minimum amount of time. If we need a cross-Local Enterprise Partnership working group, with key members that are affected, we would be delighted to facilitate it.

“We would also be very happy to include others from further up the A34 corridor.”

It adds that it would be “useful to understand the impacts on air quality of potentially moving traffic through this junction more quickly”.

The Chamber’s response cites a number of businesses currently affected by the junction, including a educational establishment west of Hampshire which has told them disruption causes them recruitment issues, with some potential staff citing the delays as a reason not to work for them.

It adds that many of its members also mention mental health issues caused by the stress of the delays, and the loss of days of work resulting from illness.

Businesses also tell them that they have to plan crucial staff meetings around the delays to ensure that all those required can reach the meeting on time.

A local haulier has estimated that around 75 heavy goods vehicle movements through Winnall every day, who say they waste around 15 hours a day queuing at the junction north and south - wasting around £900 a day.