National Highways has confirmed it has almost completed the first phase of the M27 resurfacing in Hedge End, Hampshire – six months after the project first began.

In February, National Highways announced that it would undertake an £83 million project to see a concrete section of the M27 resurfaced between junctions 5 and 7, which had been causing disruption to nearby residents.

The project came as a shock to many drivers after motorists endured four years of speed restrictions on the stretch of the M27 between junctions 4 and 11 as it was turned into a smart motorway.

National Highways has now sent a letter to residents near junctions 5 and 7, stating that the first phase of the scheme has almost been finished, says the Southern Daily Echo.

The letter reads: “I’m writing to let you know that the first phase of the scheme is almost complete.

“We’ve nearly finished our work in the central reservation, which included hardening the central reservation, concrete bay repairs, installing the new concrete barrier, drainage repairs, and installing crossover locations for our next phases.”

From Monday,  August 5, National Highways will begin moving into ‘phase 2a’ of the scheme.

The letter continues: “Phase 2a of the scheme will focus on overlaying lanes three and four of the eastbound carriageway with low-noise asphalt. So we can move the barriers into a contraflow layout, we must close the M27 overnight from 9.00pm to 6.00am on the dates listed below.

“From Tuesday, August 9 a contraflow layout will be active within our roadworks, which means one lane of traffic will cross over to the opposite carriageway to continue their journey. Three lanes in each direction will be maintained during daytime hours, although some lane or full overnight closures will be required at times.”