M275 (Portsmouth Spur)

Street guide, Solent News

The M275 is a short spur motorway that carries traffic from the M27 into Portsmouth, crossing Portsbridge Creek onto Portsea Island. It is the main high-speed road link into the city and the route most visitors and commuters use when approaching Portsmouth by car. The road runs from junction 12 of the M27 south to the Mile End area of Portsmouth, where it becomes the A3. The motorway is roughly two miles long but carries enormous volumes of traffic, as it is one of only three road routes onto Portsea Island (alongside Eastern Road and the A27 through Cosham). At peak times, queues can extend back toward the M27, and the junction arrangements at the southern end are frequently congested. The M275 replaced older, slower routes into the city and was designed to improve access to the Continental Ferry Port, the Naval Base, and the city centre. It passes through largely industrial and commercial areas, with views of Stamshaw and the northern reaches of Portsmouth Harbour. Despite its short length, it is one of the most critical pieces of road infrastructure in the Solent area, and any incident on the M275 can cause significant disruption across the wider network.