Local Issues

27 Nov

M27 WESTBOUND OFF-SLIP ROAD SHORTENING UPDATE

Further to my conversations and correspondence with the Project Sponsor for the Highways England
Smart Motorways project regarding works to significantly reduce the length of the westbound off-slip I can report:
TEMPORARY WORKS
These will commence as planned this weekend and continue into next week. The purpose of these works is to start the installation process for communications cables and a new gantry. This will mean a reduction in the full length of the existing off slip to do so. However, due to the current reduced traffic flows, the 50mph speed limit in place plus additional signage which will be added Highways England is content with this as a temporary measure. Highways England will be closely monitoring the impact of this on the main carriageway and will put in place further measures if required.
PERMANENT WORKS
Highways England will immediately start work on further traffic modelling including the effects of the improvements to junction 9 to predict the queue lengths once all the works being undertaken in the area have been completed. Once those figures are known an appropriate solution will be implemented. Work to look at alternative options is underway and this could well result in the slip road being retained at a longer length than currently proposed.
The full Smart Motorway scheme is due for completion next spring so the permanent solution should be known soon. I will advise when I know what that will look like.
I am grateful to the hundreds of residents who have contacted me via social media and by email to express their concerns.
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24 Nov

JUNCTION 9 WESTBOUND EXIT SLIP ROAD SHORTENING AND WESTBOUND ENTRY SLIP ROAD CLOSURE

During late November and early December 2020 Highways England
will be making changes to the M27 junction 9 westbound exit slip road.
The current layout of the M27 junction 9 westbound exit slip road was built decades ago to be much longer in length than a standard exit slip road as it was hoped that a service area would be placed there. As a service area wasn’t built, Highways England has decided to make the slip road into a standard length.
To carry out this work, there will be a full weekend closure of the M27 junction 9 westbound exit slip road from 10.00pm on Friday 27 November until Monday 30 November at 6.00am. This will then be followed by a series of overnight closures from 10.00pm to 6.00am, each night, from Monday 30 November 2020 until Friday 4 December 2020. The new layout will then be opened on Tuesday 8 December 2020.
OVER THE SAME WEEKEND THE THE WESTBOUND ENTRY SLIP ROAD WILL ALSO BE CLOSED FROM 9pm ON FRIDAY UNTIL 6am on MONDAY. Safety barriers will be replaced along with carriageway widening and resurfacing.
Drivers are advised to be prepared for a different road layout once work is complete and to take care while the new layout is unfamiliar to them.
Personally I always thought the overly long slip road made a safe queuing space off the main motorway carriageway. Clearly Highways England takes a different view.
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24 Nov

WHITELEY ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR UPDATE

The violence, intimidation and antisocial behaviour which has been widespread in Whiteley is I know of great concern to all of us that live in Whiteley.
I have been in regular contact with Fareham’s District Commander, Acting Chief Inspector Richard Thompson and Acting Inspector Katie Clift from the Fareham Neighbourhood Policing Team and am delighted with the resulting focus on the area which has resulted in a number of arrests for a variety of offences. The most recent arrests have resulted in bail conditions which include not entering Whiteley which I know will provide some reassurance to all of us residents.
I am sure every resident of Whiteley will wish to thank the Fareham Police for the exceptional work that has been put into this ongoing operation. If anyone witnesses any further criminality taking place the number to call is 999 if it is ongoing. Historic information can be given via 101 or online.
Domestic CCTV that captures images of any culprits can be shared with the police and I know some are keen to set up active Neighbourhood Watch groups which I very much welcome; the more intelligence that can be supplied to the police the better