Plans for the long-awaited upgrade of M3 junction 9 at Winchester have taken a step forward after they were accepted by the Planning Inspectorate.

National Highways confirmed that the plans, which will cost £190 to £210million, were accepted on December 16.

The M3 connects south Hampshire with London, the Midlands and the North, and junction 9 – which interchanges with the A34, a major route to the south coast ports to and from the Midlands – regularly experiences congestion.

The project will see the M3 widened around the junction to create four traffic lanes in each direction of the M3, as well as free flow connections with the A34. Work could start as early as 2024.

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The new proposed layout for the junction aims to create safer journeys, reduce congestion, make journey times more reliable and provide a better environment for walkers and cyclists. 

The plans were up for public consultation, with in-person events held in September.

National Highways senior project manager Tom Beasley said: “This is a major milestone for the scheme to upgrade the Winchester junction on the M3. The acceptance of the DCO means our plans can now be taken forward for robust and thorough examination by independent, government-appointed experts."  

For more details on the plan, visit: nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m3-junction-9-improvements/.