Weekend closures for ‘essential work’ on M27 bridges: warning for drivers from Sussex planning to use road

National Highways announced that the first phase of maintenance works on two bridges on the M27, between junction 12 and the Hilsea Interchange, is nearing completion.

Now they are preparing to work on top of the structures, which they said will involve ‘weekend closures of the M27 at junction 12 through September and October’.

Emma Weston, Project Manager at National Highways, said: “Our workforce has made great progress and ensured that everything has gone to plan – often under arduous conditions, during the recent heatwave.

“The next phase of works will involve removing the surfacing and age expired waterproofing on the top of the bridges and upgrading the existing surface drainage. We’ve got an additional challenge to remove the asbestos within the waterproofing. It will be safely removed and disposed of by specialist contractors before the new waterproofing layer is applied and new surfacing laid.”

Emma added: “We understand the frustration our works may have. The weekend closures have been carefully planned to avoid the Portsmouth Football Club home and away games as we know these would be busier weekends.”

National Highways said the westbound M27 will be closed at the Portsbridge roundabout:

9pm: Friday, September 5, to 6am Monday, September 8.

9pm: Friday, September 26, to 6am Monday, September 29.

The eastbound M27 will be closed at junction 12:

9pm: Friday, October 10, to 6am Monday, October 13.

9pm: Friday, October 17, to 6am Monday, October 20.

National Highways said this will be followed by a series of overnight closures to cut in the new bridge joints.

People can visit nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/m27-junction-12-hilsea-interchange-ibm-bridge-repairs for more information and follow @HighwaysSEAST on X for any updates.

National Highways said the bridges, known locally as the IBM bridges, were built in 1975 and are suffering from deterioration of the concrete underneath due to ‘water ingress from drainage and age-expired waterproofing and joints on the top’. Concrete repairs to the underside of the bridges have already been carried out, as well as installing protection to slow the corrosion of the steel.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the volume of work required, our work will be carried out in two halves per bridge. We have programmed two full weekend closures for the westbound bridge and two full weekend closures for the eastbound. In case of bad weather, two additional contingencies have also been programmed.”