Work set to start on 3m-high blue noise barrier for M27 near Port Solent in Portsmouth

NOISE reduction work for which residents have campaigned for several years will start in the new year, it has been revealed.
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A barrier to reduce noise from the M27 in Port Solent will be built from the Cosham link road at junction 12 of the M27, and run to the bridge which carries the railway line over the motorway at Paulsgrove.

The work will start in mid-January, and is scheduled to finish in mid-June.

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A long-backed call to install the works was led by the Residents Association of Port Solent and Penny Mordaunt – the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North since 2010 – who is running to keep her seat in the December 12 election.

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The association’s chairman, Chris Clark, believes the measures will make Port Solent a ‘better place to live’.

The 67-year-old said: ‘I think it’s a huge relief.

‘Some people have been here since the complex was built 30 years ago and if you’re along the Port Way area it is extremely noisy.

‘There should have been a barrier from the outset.’

Works will include clearing the area to build the barrier, replacing the parapet over the A27 Southampton Road bridge, replacing road signs, putting in upgraded lighting, as well as building the barrier.

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It is understood the measure will be a steel 3m-tall MetaSoundBlok design from Gramm Barrier Systems, with a colour scheme ‘graduating’ from dark blue at its base to light blue.

The design will see high-density mineral wool encased in pre-galvanised, painted steel panels.

Mr Clark said residents had been shown examples of the barrier and were ‘very happy’ with its appearance.

‘The benefit of this particular design is that it will look quite nice – it won't look like one of the standard, huge steel barriers,' he said.

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Highways England, which is planning the project, said there will be overnight closures of the M27 between junction 11 and the Portsbridge roundabout to put in traffic management, as well as overnight lane closures on the westbound carriageway, and some weekend closures and daytime lane closures on the Cosham link road, which runs up to the old Johnson and Johnson junction.