Hampshire County Council is advising motorists and local residents of a significant planned closure of the M27 this Christmas and New Year. The closure is required to allow critical works to take place on the M27 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme.

The motorway will be closed in both directions between Junction 9 (Whiteley) and Junction 11 (Fareham East).

Closure times:

• Starts: 8pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025
• Ends: 4am on Sunday 4 January 2026

A signed diversion route will be in place via the A27 for the duration of the works.

Supporting Welborne Garden Village

The improvements at Junction 10 are being delivered by Hampshire County Council, working closely with National Highways. They are essential to support the development of Welborne Garden Village, a new community of up to 6,000 homes just outside Fareham, and to provide easier and safer access to the M27.

The scheme, valued at over £100 million, is funded by Buckland Group (the developer of Welborne Garden Village) and Homes England through a Housing Infrastructure Grant. VolkerFitzpatrick has been appointed as the main contractor.

Once complete, the upgraded junction will become an ‘all-moves’ junction featuring:

• A new motorway underpass west of the existing M27 Junction 10.
• Three new slip roads.
• A new dual carriageway linking the slip roads to the local road network.

The new underpass will carry four lanes of traffic (two in each direction), together with a shared walking and cycling route and bridleway, improving connections between Fareham and Welborne.

First ‘box slide’ operation in Hampshire

To minimise long-term impact on road users, the works will use an innovative ‘box slide’ construction technique, being deployed in Hampshire for the first time.

A large reinforced concrete ‘box’ structure—around 60 metres long, 25 metres wide, and 10 metres high—will be slid into a specially prepared trench in the motorway embankment. This structure weighs approximately 8,500 tonnes. A substantial section of the motorway will be removed to allow this, before the embankments are rebuilt and the motorway fully reconstructed above the new underpass.

By undertaking this complex operation under a single, carefully planned full closure, the scheme avoids many months of ongoing lane restrictions and repeated overnight closures.

Managing disruption

The closure is timed for the school holiday period when traffic levels are typically lower. However, significant disruption and longer journey times are expected, particularly for local communities in Fareham and Gosport and for those travelling between Southampton and Portsmouth.

Access details during the closure:

• Westbound exit at Junction 11 (Fareham/Gosport): Open
• Eastbound exit at Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate): Open
• Westbound entry at Junction 11 (towards Southampton): Closed
• Eastbound entry at Junction 9 (towards Portsmouth): Closed

Measures to support traffic flow:

• Advance inspections and repairs have been completed on the A27.
• A restriction on roadworks will apply on the A27 throughout December 2025 and January 2026.
• Advance signage will be deployed across the wider strategic road network (including M25, M3, M4, A3, A27, and A34).
• Traffic signals on the M27 and A27 will be re-programmed.
• A recovery scheme will operate along the diversion route to quickly remove broken-down vehicles.
• Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders will enforce ‘no waiting’ and ‘no loading’ restrictions to keep traffic moving.

Advice for road users

All road users are strongly advised to:

• Plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys.
• Travel earlier or later in the day where possible (the diversion is expected to be busiest between 10am and 4pm).
• Consider alternative routes or public transport options, including train, bus, or ferry.
• Consider whether journeys are essential during the closure period.

Further Information

Details of the diversion route and travel advice are available at the Hampshire County Council website: https://www.hants.gov.uk/M27-J10-xmas

Passengers are also encouraged to check:

• My Journey Hampshire for local sustainable travel options.
• Traveline for public transport information.
• Gosport Ferry for Christmas and New Year timetables.
• Network Rail for planned rail engineering works.

Long-term benefits

The M27 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme is a major highway upgrade that will unlock housing at Welborne Garden Village, support new jobs and schools, improve motorway access, and enhance walking and cycling connections.

Hampshire County Council and its partners thank residents, businesses, and road users for their patience while this vital infrastructure work is carried out.

Media and public enquiries:
Email: m27jct10@hants.gov.uk