Essential refurbishment works complete on M27 Station Road
VolkerLaser was appointed by National Highways under the Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF) to deliver essential repairs and refurbishment works to M27 Station Road.
Stretching more than 27 miles along the south coast, the M27 is a vital route providing key connections between Southampton and Portsmouth.
As principal contractor, VolkerLaser began work in July 2025. The full scope of works includes concrete repairs, the installation of an Impressed Current Cathodic Protection System (ICCP), waterproofing, resurfacing, civils work, the installation of new expansion joints and the required temporary works.
Works commenced on the west abutment, where temporary traffic lights were installed and scaffolding erected to the abutment wall, enabling the team to carry out concrete repairs. At the same time, work progressed on the motorway over the bridge deck, with a narrow lane traffic management arrangement in place to maintain safe access to the work area.
The central reservation and verges on both sides of the bridge were removed down to deck level to allow the deck to be waterproofed. Following this, the deck was reconstructed, including the installation of new kerb lines and concrete infill. The team worked collaboratively with colleagues from P J Davidson (PJD) to reinstate the concrete on the central reservation and verges on both sides of the bridge. After this, full night closures of both the east and westbound carriageways were implemented to allow resurfacing of the entire carriageway, along with the installation of new APJ expansion joints.
Part of the works area was situated over an operational railway line. Following a 52-hour weekend railway possession, the scaffolding was erected to the east abutment wall and fully encapsulated with timber hoarding over the railway line, providing safe access to the structure. The team worked tirelessly throughout this period and successfully installed the scaffolding, reopening the railway line 12 hours ahead of schedule. The east abutment wall required concrete repairs prior to the installation of a new ICCP system. The ICCP system has been installed to prevent ongoing corrosion of the reinforced concrete by applying a controlled electrical current to the steel reinforcement, effectively halting further deterioration and extending the service life of the structure.
To support future monitoring and maintenance of the system, a new access staircase was also installed, adjacent to the structure, providing safe access to the ICCP junction boxes and control equipment.
The project finished, in line with the programme, at the end of March. Due to the railway possession requirements, the team returned in mid-April to remove the scaffolding from the railway line under a 25-hour weekend possession which was completed as planned.
