M27 motorway

The M27 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs east through Hampshire from Cadnam to Portsmouth. Running parallel both to the coast of the Solent and to the A27 road, the motorway also passes Southampton and Fareham. Along its route, the M27 meets three other motorways, the M271, M275, and the M3.

The motorway was opened in 1978. The have been plans to make the M27 part of a motorway connecting Exeter to Dover. However, in the way to the west is the New Forest and to the east is the A27.

Junctions

From west to east:

• Road starts on: A31
• Junction 1: A336, B3078, Cadnam.
• Junction 2: A36, (A3336)
• Junction 3: M271, Southampton West and Docks, Romsey.
• Rownams Service Area.
• Junction 4: The MIDLANDS, London, Winchester, M3 motorway (no access to A33 and A27)
• Junction 5: Southampton International Airport, Eastleigh, Southampton North.
• Junction 7: Hedge End, A334 and Southampton East.
• Junction 8: Bursledon and Hamble-le-Rice.
• Junction 9: Fareham West, Whiteley A27
• Junction 10 wesbound: Alton A32 (exit only to A32 north, no access to motorway)
• Junction 10 eastbound: (access only, from A32)
• Junction 11: Fareham Central, Gosport A27 (A32)
• Junction 12, part one: Cosham A27.
• Junction 12, part two: Portsmouth West, Ferries M275.
• Road terminates on: Chichester, Brighton A27.

Junction 6 was never completed. There would have been a motorway spur (M273) connecting it to the centre of Southampton. The M274 was meant to be the A32 around Fareham and off to Gosport, and the M272 was meant to go from J4 to Portswood.

Congestion

These sections of the motorway are often congested:

• (All times) The westbound exit onto the A31 where the A31 climbs a short hill up towards the New Forest.
• (All times) Both directions between Junction 3 and Junction 4. Widening is proposed here.
• (Summer holiday mornings) westbound between Junction 2 and Junction 1. This is the signposted route for traffic into the New Forest.
• (Weekday mornings) Westbound between Junction 7 and Junction 5.
• (Weekday mornings) Eastbound near the junction with the M275.
• (Friday evenings) Tailbacks going up the J10 looped-slipoad on the A32.
• (Weekday evenings, mostly Fridays) Tailbacks from J11 (Fareham Central) onto the westbound motorway, and sometimes stretching to the M275 at J12.
• (Any busy time) Traffic stretching down the eastbound exit-slip of J9.

Trivia

Junction 1 is about 1 mile from The Rufus Stone where King William II was killed in a hunting accident in the year 1100.

A planned service area just east of Junction 9 was never constructed. The lengthy westbound exit onto Junction 9 was originally to allow an entrance and exit into the Service Area.

The UK’s first solar motorway sound barrier was installed at Junction 9 in March 2004. The 50 m long solar panel was installed by solarcentury for the Highways Agency. It generates around 9,500 kWh of electricity.

You can get some nice views near the New Forest, and alongside the River Hamble.

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom