Smart motorway upgrade on M27 enters final stages

National Highways said it was making good progress on the M27 upgrade

Work to reopen an upgraded section of the M27 is under way, with barriers and cones due to be lifted overnight.

National Highways said the 15-mile stretch from junction 4 to junction 11 in Fareham, Hampshire, should have all four lanes open by 18 February.

It said a 60mph limit would remain in place for some time while final testing on smart motorway equipment takes place.

The removal of the traffic management will take place over several nights.

Once the stretch of motorway has fully reopened, temporary additional CCTV and a free recovery service will also remain in place alongside the new permanent systems during the commissioning period.

National Highways' smart motorways programme director David Bray said: "We are making good progress on completing the upgraded M27 Southampton and Fareham section and we are grateful for people's continued patience through our roadworks.

"From 12 February, we are starting to remove the temporary cones and barriers on this stretch of the motorway to open four lanes of traffic."

He said drivers using the M27 should be reassured the motorway already has multiple safety features in place while the testing is carried out, including 142 CCTV cameras, a dedicated free recovery service with a fleet of 10 vehicles, and the ability to use technology to vary the speed limit and to close lanes using a Red X."