M275 Motorway - History

History

The motorway was opened throughout its entire length in 1976. A junction was originally planned for a new development in the Tipner area of Portsmouth, known as the Gateway Project, which was shelved at the time. The junction's construction was abandoned primarily because planners realised that it would breach regulations that there must be a minimum of 1.25 miles (2.01 km) between motorway junctions. Before construction was halted, significant work had been carried out, including four incomplete slip roads with no road surfacing, two bridges above the site for the main roundabout, and realignment of Tipner Lane so that it served the roundabout. In 2001 the Sails of the South was unveiled close to the site of the missing junction.

In 2005 Portsmouth City Council carried out a refurbishment of the road signs at the M27 junction. New signs were stuck over the old ones but were smaller, including unusual lane illustrations, disproportionate text, lack of route information, increased difficulty to read at a long distance and used incorrect fonts on them, annoying road users and road enthusiasts.