Steve Forster - Cllr, Hampshire Highways & Transport

31/05/2026

A pleasant Sunday afternoon meeting members of the extended Police Family at the start of Volunteers Week 2026 at a Special afternoon Tea Party.

It was at Netley’s Police Southern Support & Training HQ, organised by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to thank some local volunteers for their time, dedication and support.

It was really nice to meet the police serving officers and civilian staff and of course those that volunteer and support, including Police cadets, Speedwatch Groups and the many others that assist.

30/05/2026

A326 improvement works - planning application now live to 17th June with comments welcomed.

See latest article below from Hampshire Live and for background and more info can be found on https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/transportschemes/a326-north-waterside-improvements

A major scheme to upgrade the A326 in the Waterside has moved forward, with a planning application now submitted for junction upgrades, new dual carriageway sections and walking and cycling improvements.

The proposals include a mammal tunnel for otters beneath the Bartley Water, seven new traffic light-controlled crossings, new roundabouts, extra traffic lanes, environmental mitigation measures and a “School Street” outside Marchwood CofE Infants School.

As previously reported, Hampshire County Council gave the green light for the £187m A326 Waterside improvement scheme.

The scheme would see 2.6km of the A326 widened from single to dual carriageway between Michigan Way and Cocklydown Lane, while a further 1.5km would gain an additional southbound lane between Hounsdown and Staplewood Lane.

Eight junctions are proposed for improvement along the A326, including Michigan Way roundabout, Netley Marsh, Fletchwood Road, Monkton Lane, Cocklydown Lane, Staplewood Lane, Twiggs Lane, the new Pilgrim Inn double roundabout junction, and Main Road.

The Pilgrim Inn proposal would create a new key access point for Marchwood, while Main Road roundabout would be signalised and widened with additional lanes and improved turning arrangements.

Active travel measures include three modal filters to reduce through-traffic while maintaining access for walking and cycling.

These include closures and restrictions at Staplewood Lane (west) and Twiggs Lane (north), the latter supporting a “School Street” outside Marchwood CofE Infants School.

A series of new toucan crossings are also proposed to improve links between communities on the eastern side of the A326 and the New Forest National Park to the west.

Shared footway and cycleway routes would also be widened.

Environmental mitigation measures form a significant part of the project due to proximity to sensitive habitats, ancient woodland and protected environmental sites.

Among the ecological measures is a dry mammal tunnel beneath the A326 at Bartley Water to allow otters to cross during flooding.

Otter-proof fencing would also be installed to guide animals towards the crossing point.

The project also proposes wildlife ponds, bat-friendly street lighting, native tree planting, biodiversity enhancements and new drainage systems.

Several structures would be altered or introduced, including extension of the Ashurst Culvert at Bartley Water with flood relief pipes, widening works to Ashurst Bridge Road and a new independent bridge at Ashurst Railway.

Noise barriers would be installed at several locations to reduce the impact on nearby homes, while sustainable drainage systems and flood alleviation measures would be introduced, particularly around Bartley Water.

Hampshire County Council said construction management plans would be developed to minimise disruption.

Public consultation on the proposals is open until 17 June 2026, with comments able to be submitted via the council’s consultation portal.

✍Natalia Forero
📷Extent of Proposed A326 Improvements Scheme. Image: Hampshire County Council

27/05/2026

🚧 M3 Junction 9 Wi******er Improvement Works – Upcoming Road Closures

I wanted to share details of some upcoming overnight road closures in the Wi******er area as part of the M3 Junction 9 improvement scheme.

These works are being carried out by National Highways - the government-owned company responsible for motorways and major trunk roads - and are not managed or coordinated by Hampshire Highways, which handles local roads.

For all of these closures, National Highways advice is not to follow your satnav and instead to follow the signed diversions - satnav may direct you onto an unsuitable road or back onto a closed route. All official diversion routes are designed to suit all vehicle types.

Here's what's planned over the coming weeks:

1️⃣Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 May
A34 northbound closed from Junction 9 to Three Maids Hill overnight - vegetation clearance and traffic management works.

2️⃣Friday 29 May, Wednesday 3 June, Friday 5 June & Saturday 6 June
A34 at Three Maids Hill southbound and A33 southbound from the Cart and Horse junction closed overnight - bridge work at Kings Worthy and traffic management.

3️⃣Monday 1 June, Tuesday 2 June & Thursday 4 June
A33 southbound from the Cart and Horse junction closed overnight - Kings Worthy bridge work and traffic management.

4️⃣Thursday 11 & Friday 12 June (8pm–6am)
M3 southbound closed between junctions 8 and 9 - main line traffic management switch works.

5️⃣Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 June (8pm–6am)
M3 northbound closed between junctions 9 and 8 - main line traffic management switch works.

6️⃣Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 June (9pm–6am)
M3 northbound closed between junctions 10 and 9 - carriageway management works.

7️⃣Monday 29 June, Tuesday 30 June & Wednesday 1 July (8pm–6am)
M3 northbound closed between junctions 9 and 8 - underpass works.

Closures can change at short notice due to weather or other factors.
⚠️For the latest information, you’re advised to check National Highways' daily closures page or Traffic England for live updates.
👉National Highways also posts updates via their South East X and Facebook accounts.

23/05/2026

Welcome to my 🆕 Highways & Passenger Transport page.

This sits alongside my existing councillor page rather than replacing it - the focus here will be specifically on info from my Cabinet role as Executive Member for Highways & Passenger Transport at Hampshire County Council. My aim is for posts that will be informative and factual, covering transport infrastructure, road maintenance, passenger services and related county-wide matters.

⚠️A note on enquiries: ⚠️This is a personal information page and cannot ❌ accept formal council reports or enquiries.

👉If you have a highways issue to report, please use Hampshire's online reporting tool in the first instance:
🔗 https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem

For anything that needs following up, your local County Councillor should be your first call or email and is your best point of contact thereafter - they're there to represent you and escalate on your behalf.

For my local councillor updates and commentary, you may also want to follow my main page:
🔗 https://facebook.com/SteveForsterHDC

I genuinely welcome your feedback and constructive observations - local knowledge is invaluable in this role. 👹However, trolling, offensive comments or rudeness will not be tolerated and may result in comments being deleted or individuals being blocked.

🙏Thank you for finding and following this page.