DRIVERS are being warned of a 55-mile diversion when the M27 closes both ways again next month.

As reported, there was traffic chaos during the summer when the motorway shut on one of the warmest weekends of the year.

Motorists hoping to travel along a stretch of the carriageway between junction three for Southampton city centre and junction four for the M3 will face a long drive from 10pm on Friday, January 10 and 5am on Monday, January 13.

Motorists heading west on the M27 will have to join the M3 and travel via Winchester, Andover and Salisbury before finally rejoining the motorway at Ower.

Drivers heading down the M3 from the Basingstoke area will have to leave the motorway near East Stratton and take the A303 to Andover.

Eastbound traffic will have to leave the M27 at Ower and go through Romsey before joining the M3 near Winchester – a much shorter journey than the one faced by people travelling west.

Highways England described the new routes as the “best possible arrangement”.

The closure is the last of three. It will allow engineers to work on the £19m project to replace the Romsey Road bridge by lifting the new structure into place.