Closure of motorways, accidents driving commuters crazy in United Kingdom

London, Aug 31 (IANS) Closure of motorways due to frequent accidents, major roadworks and bridge repairs have resulted in intense traffic congestion and traffic misery for commuters in and around London.

On Saturday, Hampshire Police announced that a major motorway was closed as it is investigating a collision.

"Please be aware that the northbound M3 between junctions 9 and 8 is currently closed while we deal with a collision. Please avoid the area and take alternative routes," the Hampshire Roads Policing Unit posted on X.

On Friday, the Hampshire Police, which manages policing across a significant transport network including the M27 and M3, had announced the closure of the northbound carriageway between junctions 12 and 11 on M3 following a "serious collision".

"We are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage following what is believed to be a serious collision on the M3. Police were called at 2.21pm today (Friday, August 30) to a report of man found seriously injured in the northbound carriageway between junctions 12 and 11. At this early stage of the investigation it is believed he may have been involved in a collision with a vehicle which did not stop at the scene," it said in a statement.

Earlier this week, National Highways - the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads - had announced two weekend closures in September as a railway bridge is being replaced over the M62 between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Rochdale.

The replacement work to be carried out from September 6-9 and between September 20-23, will affect cross-Pennine travel plans with the motorway linking Liverpool and Hull as well as the cities of Manchester and Leeds in between.

"It is the first time in recent memory that the M62, which carries around 1,20,000 vehicles a day, has been closed for a whole weekend or other extended period for planned work," National Highways said in a statement.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has reported some major serious traffic collisions in the region recently.

On August 25, a man in his 60s from Emsworth was pronounced dead following a serious single-vehicle road traffic collision on the A27, close to the junction for Hilsea.

On August 13, a 16-year-old cyclist from Portsmouth lost his life after being hit by a car at the junction of Portsdown Hill Road, Portchester Lane and Skew Road.

According to provisional statistics released by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) in May, there were an estimated 1,645 fatalities in reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2023.

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