Transport secretary Mark Harper has granted a development consent order (DCO) for National Highways’ delayed £200m M3 Junction 9 scheme.
The scheme will change the junction so it has free-flowing links between the M3 and the A34 in both directions.
In addition, the junction will be widened, with two new bridges creating a new gyratory, allowing the M3 to increase from three lanes to four as it passes under the junction. The southbound slip road onto the M3 will also be extended.
The scheme was first announced in the 2015-20 Road Investment Strategy (RIS 1) and in 2018 a preferred route announcement gave a start date for the main construction work of 2021.
It reappeared in RIS 2, with a start of works (SoW) date of 2023-24 but in the spring of 2022 the scope of the scheme changed following the decision to pause a planned all lane running scheme between junctions 9 and 14 and the DCO application delayed by eight months.
National Highways told Highways that a new SoW date for the second quarter of 2024-25 was agreed with the Department for Transport and endorsed by the transport secretary in May 2023.
Despite the delays to the scheme, the Office of Rail and Road’s annual assessments of National Highways in 2022 and 2023 said the scheme was ‘on target’ to meet its start date.
The scheme is due to begin in ‘early 2025’ and take around three years.
Tom Beasley, National Highways’ senior project manager for the scheme, said: ‘This represents years of working with local communities and key stakeholders to create the best possible solution. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the development of the project so far.’
The scheme also includes 2.8km of new cycling and walking provision, including four subways and a toucan crossing, as well as 1.7 km of new bridleway.
In December 2022 National Highways appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver the scheme.
