YOU wait ages for road improvement schemes and then three come along at once.

Over the next few years we will see the project to radically alter the M3 junction 9 interchange at Winnall and also a newly-announced £139m scheme to change a ten-mile stretch from junction nine to junction 14 into a ‘smart’ motorway. The hard shoulder could be converted into a fourth lane at peak times to improve traffic flow.

On top of this there is also plans to upgrade the M27 from junction four at Chilworth near Southampton to junction 11 at Fareham.

Taking a short-term and simplistic view these schemes would be welcomed, increasing the capacity of major roads, cutting journey times and potentially reducing accidents.

However, there is a major catch. It has been proved time and time again that increasing capacity will simply increase demand. There will be a short-term improvement but then in a few years’ time the congestion will be just as bad.

Much more needs to be done to reduce the need for these roads to be constantly enlarged. Major investment is needed in public transport such as railways and buses, getting freight off the roads and onto trains, more needs to be done to encourage cycling and walking.

The environmental battles of the 1990s, started by the M3 through Twyford Down, made the issue clear. But we have still not learned the lessons.