{"id":19103,"date":"2026-04-21T23:43:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/19103\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T23:43:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:43:30","slug":"m27-major-motorway-reopens-for-first-time-in-two-years-with-lower-speed-limits-as-drivers-face-50mph-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/19103\/","title":{"rendered":"M27: Major motorway reopens for first time in two years with lower speed limits as drivers face 50mph restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The M27 has reopened for the first time in over two years with lower speed limits after a multi-million-pound project completed key constructions.<\/p>\n

The motorway has been undergoing key road improvements between junctions 5 and 7, where a new low-noise surface was installed, and drainage changes were made.<\/p>\n

While the junctions have reopened this morning, National Highways has kept the 50mph speed limit restrictions in place as the final stage of testing and recommissioning progresses.<\/p>\n

The lower speed limit is expected to stay in place until mid-June, at which point the transport organisation will remove temporary traffic measures.<\/p>\n

Richard Scrase, programme delivery manager at National Highways, said: “This project has already delivered a quieter road surface between junctions 5 and 7. We’ve also carried out significant drainage upgrades and improved safety in the central reservation. <\/p>\n

“Together, these improvements have created a smoother, quieter and safer journey for drivers, while helping the road last for generations to come.”<\/p>\n

The agency explained how the road surface was designed to have an average life span of 50 years, with concrete roads having proved tough and durable over the years.<\/p>\n

However, the surface reportedly reached the stage where it needed to be repaired or replaced for safety reasons, to reduce noise and improve driving conditions.<\/p>\n

\"M27<\/p>\n

The motorway junctions will operate at lower speed limits temporarily<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

GETTY\/NATIONAL HIGHWAYS<\/p>\n

The thick asphalt overlay on the M27 will ensure the concrete remains stable and durable over the next few years.<\/p>\n

The M27 junctions pass through several Noise Important Areas, with the new low-noise surface aiming to reduce noise and benefit the communities living near the road.<\/p>\n

Hampshire County Councillor Nick Adams-King shared: “After what feels like a very long stretch of cones and lane closures, National Highways have confirmed that the current lane restrictions between junctions 5 and 7 will be removed. <\/p>\n

“That will be a welcome relief for everyone who uses this section of motorway, and I suspect we’ll all enjoy seeing four lanes open again!”<\/p>\n

\"M27<\/p>\n

To help with the repair, National Highways closed the junctions overnight between 9pm and 6am<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

NATIONAL HIGHWAYS<\/p>\n

He warned residents of the temporary 50mph speed limit, which will remain in place while final testing is completed.<\/p>\n

“Now, I don’t want to be cynical, but in roadworks terms, ‘later in the spring’ has been known to drift gently into something resembling July,” he stated.<\/p>\n

One Facebook commenter questioned the lower speed limits, saying: “How about we just say no, enough is enough, and you can’t test anything unless you are using it to its full capacity, which includes a 70mph speed limit.<\/p>\n

\"M27<\/p>\n

The M27 junctions have been undergoing resurfacing for the past two years<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

NATIONAL HIGHWAYS<\/p>\n

“It’s time to stop letting these things interfere with people’s lives without an actual, sensible reason, not just a made-up one because we say it’s needed.”<\/p>\n

National Highways defended the project, stating that “altogether these measures will ensure a smoother ride for drivers, make the road quieter, improve safety and ensure the road lasts longer”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The M27 has reopened for the first time in over two years with lower speed limits after a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[380,453,424,18,165,547,683,5,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-19103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"tag-across-the-uk","9":"tag-cars","10":"tag-lifestyle","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-roads","13":"tag-south-east","14":"tag-traffic-travel","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116445354578777784","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}