CIVIC chiefs are being urged to find a better solution to problems at a notorious blackspot before work begins to improve the M3.

Winchester Lib Dem councillors Malcolm Prince and Jane Rutter have challenged Hampshire County Council (HCC) to improve plans for the Cart and Horses junction with the A33 in Kings Worthy, arguing that when work begins to improve junction 9 at Winnall it would become gridlocked.

Cllr Prince said: “Twice in the past month traffic chaos has been caused locally when accidents have closed the A34 or the M3.

“We know that many local residents drive miles out of their way to avoid the Cart and Horses junction as they consider it so confusing and dangerous. When there are major hold-ups on key routes around Winchester the situation becomes impossible. When work starts on the M3/J9, it’s going to be permanent gridlock round here.”

Work is due to begin on improving the M3 bottleneck in 2021, with a smart motorway scheme also planned between junctions nine and 14 to begin 2020.

Cllr Rutter added: “With up to £100million earmarked to sort out the hold-ups between the M3 and the A34, surely there must be some money available to put in a roundabout here, just a few hundred yards along the road?”

Fellow Lib Dem councillor Jackie Porter is also arguing that the plans to improve safety don’t go far enough: “We have been asking HCC to get the Cart and Horses junction sorted, but the excuse has always been that we don’t know how the M3 works will affect it.

“Well, now we know that M3 junction nine works don’t extend to this junction, that excuse has gone. Residents are worried that the flow of traffic will get even worse, especially during the major construction works. A smoother running roundabout at the junction would help”.

It is the right thing to do. We want the county to stop procrastinating and sort out this notorious junction before Highways England get started on M3/J9.”

Campaigners are also calling for a full cycle route from the Cart and Horses junction up along the A33 to be included in the M3/J9 plans. The plan is currently just to improve the pedestrian footpath.