Work to remodel one of Hampshire’s busiest motorway interchanges has moved forward after contractors lifted two 48m steel bridge beams into place during planned weekend closures of the M3.

The £290M M3 Junction 9 improvement scheme, which seeks to relieve chronic congestion where the M3 meets the A34 near Winchester, reached a significant construction stage when teams installed the northern and southern gyratory bridge beams in February. Principal contractor VolkerFitzpatrick, working with Balfour Beatty as VFBB for National Highways, used a 750t crane to place the two roughly 100t beams on new abutments as part of the realigned junction structure.

The beams will form the decks of two new bridges needed for a redesign that replaces the existing signal‑controlled, single large roundabout with a “dumbbell” layout: two smaller, linked roundabouts connected by bridges to allow free‑flow movement. Project literature says the change should reduce the need for traffic to stop and so ease delays at peak times; the junction currently handles more than 6,000 vehicles an hour in the busiest periods.

Contractors carried out the lifts during full motorway closures over two weekends and worked round the clock to complete the complex operation. Project managers described the lifts as challenging but completed safely. The work is being funded by central government.

The upgrade will widen the M3 to four lanes through the junction, create free‑flow links between the M3 and A34, and include facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. Environmental measures in the scheme include the planting of about 9ha of chalk grassland.

National Highways and VFBB have framed the project as supporting local development and regional freight movements. The route is a key corridor between the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth and distribution routes to the Midlands; officials anticipate the improved junction will also help unlock around 2,000 new homes in the Winchester area.

Timings released by promoters indicate completion is expected by summer 2028, with modelling suggesting peak‑time journeys through the junction to the A272 could be almost 30% faster once works are finished.

Deon Scholtz, VolkerFitzpatrick divisional director, infrastructure, said: “The successful installation of the new gyratory bridge beams marks a major milestone for the project and is a testament to the exceptional planning, engineering expertise and teamwork across VFBB.

“Completing two complex lifts in such a short timeframe, and under full motorway closures, required absolute precision and seamless collaboration. I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved. This achievement brings us another step closer to delivering a junction that will significantly improve journeys, strengthen the regional network, and provide long‑lasting benefits for road users and local communities.”

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