PART of a new central barrier on the M3 near Winchester has been demolished not long after it was initially completed.

The work is being carried out by National Highways under the M3 Junction 9 to Junction 14 Barrier and Drainage scheme, which is scheduled to be completed at the end of the summer.

However, photographs obtained by the Gazette's sister paper the Chronicle show that the completed work on the barrier, between Junction 11 and 12 near Compton, has been demolished.

A National Highways Spokesperson said that the demolition came about so improvements could be made to the alignment of the barrier.

They said: “The majority of the barrier has been installed without issue but a change in three areas is required due to unique elements in those specific locations. An internal review identified that improvements could be made to the alignment of the barrier, for which parts of the existing structure would need to be removed and rebuilt to an updated design specification.”

The spokesperson also clarified that the scheme is still on track to be completed by September and that the cost of the scheme has remained the same despite the changes.

They added: “National Highways schemes are built to the highest specification and safety standards, and we would never open a stretch of road to traffic that wasn’t safe. Although the original safety barrier was safe, the review highlighted that improvements could be made without adding additional cost to the overall scheme.”