Driving and Major Roads in the Solent Region
Road networks and driving routes across the area
The Solent region's road network is shaped by its coastal geography, with the M27 motorway forming the main east-west spine and a series of A-roads branching south to the peninsulas and waterfront towns. Understanding the road layout and its pinch points is essential for anyone driving regularly in the area.
The M27 runs from Cadnam on the edge of the New Forest in the west to its junction with the A27 near Havant in the east. It connects Southampton, Fareham, and the approaches to Portsmouth, and carries heavy commuter traffic in both directions during peak hours. Junctions 9 and 11 serve Fareham, with Junction 11 also providing the main route south to Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent via the A32. The stretch between Junctions 9 and 12 is one of the busiest on the motorway, and congestion is common during morning and evening rush hours.
The A32 is the primary route from the M27 south through Fareham to Gosport. It passes through central Fareham and follows the western side of Portsmouth Harbour to Gosport town centre. This road handles a large volume of traffic, particularly at commuter times, and the Quay Street roundabout in Fareham and the approach roads into Gosport are well-known bottlenecks. Roadworks and incidents on the A32 can cause significant delays, as there are few alternative routes for through traffic. For more on Fareham's road network, see fareham.news.
The B3334 connects Fareham to Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent, running south-west from the town centre. Stubbington village acts as a crossroads for traffic heading to Hill Head, Lee-on-the-Solent, and the western side of the Gosport peninsula. The Stubbington bypass, completed in 2022, has relieved some of the pressure on the village centre. Visit stubbington.news for local road information.
To the east, the A27 runs from Fareham through Portchester and Cosham towards Havant and Chichester. This dual carriageway is heavily used and often congested, particularly around the Portchester and Cosham junctions. It provides the main road connection to the eastern Solent towns of Havant, Emsworth, and onward to Chichester in West Sussex. The A3(M) branches north from the A27 near Horndean, providing a motorway link to London via the M25.
Southampton is reached from Fareham either via the M27 westbound or along the A27 through Bursledon and the Hamble area. The Itchen Bridge and various city centre one-way systems can be confusing for those unfamiliar with Southampton's layout. Parking in the major towns varies: Fareham has several town centre car parks, Gosport has parking near the ferry terminal and at Stokes Bay, and Lee-on-the-Solent has seafront parking along Marine Parade. Portsmouth has park-and-ride services from the M27 corridor for those wishing to avoid city centre traffic.
The Solent's geography creates particular challenges for drivers. The peninsulas on which Gosport and Portsea Island sit have limited road access, meaning that any disruption on the main routes can cause widespread delays. Flooding on low-lying roads near the harbour shores is an occasional hazard during spring tides combined with heavy rain. The region's road network is managed by Hampshire County Council (for the Fareham and Gosport area) and Portsmouth City Council within the city boundary. National Highways manages the M27 and A3(M) motorways. Road improvement schemes are periodically proposed and debated, with the Stubbington bypass and improvements to the M27 Junction 10 among recent significant projects.