A3(M)

Street guide, Solent News

The A3(M) is a short motorway section that carries traffic from the A3 south toward Portsmouth, bypassing Waterlooville and Horndean. It runs from the Horndean junction with the A3 to the junction with the A27 near Bedhampton, providing a fast dual carriageway link for traffic coming from London and the north. The road was built in the 1970s as part of the programme to upgrade the London to Portsmouth route. It is roughly nine miles long and carries heavy volumes of commuter traffic, particularly at peak times when workers travel between the Portsmouth conurbation and towns further north. The southern end merges with local roads near the A27 junction, which can cause tailbacks. The A3(M) is a key piece of the transport puzzle for the eastern side of the Solent area. Combined with the M27, it provides the main motorway access into Portsmouth from the north. It passes through pleasant downland countryside between Horndean and Waterlooville, with the South Downs National Park to the east. Speed limits and junction arrangements have been the subject of various improvement schemes over the years.