M275 Unfinished Junction

Driving along the M275, you noticed nothing suspicious. However, if you took a look around the local area, or even looked at Google Map's satellite view it all become a little more obvious.

For 30 years, the M275 motorway near Portsmouth had a standard roundabout junction which had only been half built. It was even more unfinished than London Gateway services.

Apparently, it was abandoned because it was going to be too close to the existing junctions. Or maybe the plans for local area changed. Either way, there had been continuous discussion about how to use it properly, and in 2015 it opened to serve a Park & Ride car park only.

Before then, we were told it would open in 2007 (which is why apparently why the motorway speed limit was reduced in 2005). An email from the City Council at the time said:

"TIPNER JUNCTION/INTERCHANGE
This intermediate junction was included in the original layout but never built at that stage. One of the City's aims is to now provide this junction as part of the northern City area regeneration. Unfortunately, the junction spacing is less than is permitted for a 70mph design speed. Junctions need to be a minimum 2.0km apart between the end of the diverge/commencement of the merge. WE can not simply as it stands introduce the new junction and the HA are not disposed to grant any departure from standards at this stage. The best solution is therefore to change the speed environment and reduce the vehicle speed to something which equates to the 60 mph design case. The speed management scheme seeks to do just that. If we succeed, we may be able to proceed with plans to introduce the new interchange and this will be a vital starting point for the City."

The story has come to a close now, but here are some photos from the time where you had subways under nothing, the cleared area for the slip roads (now overgrown), an unused bridge, and a suspiciously roundabout-shaped road.

Heading along Tipner Road, Portsmouth. This is where we should meet the roundabout.

Looking over the fence in the right of the last photo. This is the other half of the roundabout.

Zooming in, you can see clearly this was meant to be where the southbound offslip would join.

And this is the southbound onslip, there is even a subway under it!

The subways under the 'slip roads'. Not in the best of conditions, are they?

You can easily imagine this as a busy junction, the northbound offslip would join by that bush.

This is the northbound offslip. It is very obvious, with a subway under it.

Turn around, and without the cars, it's even more obvious. With Tipner MOD base and the centre of the roundabout being the biggest field the locals have, this place is quite busy.

This is where the road goes off to Tipner MOD. The northbound onslip would be where those flat bushes are, behind the lamppost, and the roundabout would've continued round where those leaves are. You can just see the corner of the bridge.

But we get there to find they've dumped dirt in the way, to stop local oiks messing around under the bridge, perhaps, or just to hide the embarrassment?