M27 to Close for 11 Days Over Christmas as Drivers Urged to Plan Ahead
With just four weeks until a major holiday shutdown of the M27, drivers are being warned to expect severe delays and to begin planning alternative routes and travel arrangements. Hampshire County Council confirmed that the motorway will be fully closed in both directions between Junctions 9 and 11 from 8pm on 24 December 2025 until 4am on Sunday 4 January 2026, to allow for the installation of a huge pre-constructed underpass.
The closure, which spans the Christmas and New Year period, is part of a £100 million-plus infrastructure programme supporting the development of Welborne Garden Village.
“The last thing anyone wants is a festive traffic headache”
Councillor Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said the timing of the closure had been carefully chosen but acknowledged the disruption it would cause.
“We have scheduled this work to take place during the holiday period when traffic levels are lower,” she said. “However, we know this is a special time of year, and the last thing anyone wants is a festive traffic headache. That’s why with just under one month before the closure we’re reminding people to plan ahead and consider what the impact could be for their travel arrangements during this time.”
Bowerman warned that the diversion route—via the A27, which has two lanes in each direction for most of the stretch—will be busy throughout the shutdown.
“Road users should anticipate severe delays on the A27 diversion route and the surrounding area, especially for people travelling in the Fareham and Gosport areas. The message is to look at your options—maybe take public transport, travel earlier or later, try a different route, or even ask yourself if the trip is really necessary.”
What the closure involves
The project will see a giant 8,500-tonne concrete underpass, weighing around 2.5 times more than HMS Victory, slid 65 metres into a pre-cut trench beneath the motorway. The structure has been built north of the carriageway and will be moved into place during the shutdown in a complex engineering operation designed to save months of slower, more disruptive works.
Once installed, the motorway will be rebuilt above it. The new underpass will eventually carry four lanes of traffic—two in each direction—alongside a walking and cycling route, enhancing links between Fareham and Welborne Garden Village.
Travel restrictions during the shutdown
During the 11-day closure:
• Drivers may exit the M27 westbound at Junction 11 (Fareham/Gosport) and eastbound at Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate).
• Drivers cannot enter the M27 westbound at Junction 11 nor eastbound at Junction 9.
The A27 diversion will be the primary route for through-traffic, and officials expect it to be under significant pressure each day.
To help keep vehicles moving, the council has confirmed a series of supporting measures:
• Pre-closure inspections and repairs on the A27
• A ban on planned roadworks on the A27 throughout December and January
• Advance signage across major routes including the M25, M3, M4, A3, A27 and A34
• Reprogrammed traffic signals at key junctions
• A free recovery service on the diversion route
• Coordination with emergency services and local authorities
Part of wider development for Welborne
The scheme is being delivered by Hampshire County Council in partnership with National Highways and is fully funded by the Buckland Group, developer of Welborne Garden Village, along with Homes England.
Once complete, the underpass and a series of related improvements around Junction 10 will support the new 6,000-home development north of Fareham. Planning rules currently cap occupation to 1,160 homes until a new “all-moves” Junction 10 is finished and operational.
The overall two-year construction programme remains on track to open to traffic in winter 2026.
