M27 motorway

M27
M27 highlighted in blue
Route information
Maintained by National Highways
Length	27.9 mi (44.9 km)
Existed	1972–present
History	Constructed 1972–83
Major junctions
West end	Cadnam 50°55′06″N 1°35′35″W / 50.9182°N 1.5930°W / 50.9182; -1.5930 (M27 motorway (western end))
Major intersections	J3 → M271 motorway J4 → M3 motorway J12 → M275 motorway
East end	Portsmouth 50°50′12″N 1°03′54″W / 50.8366°N 1.0650°W / 50.8366; -1.0650 (M27 motorway (eastern end))
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary destinations	Southampton, Fareham, Portsmouth, (Ringwood), (Bournemouth), (Poole), (Salisbury), (Winchester), (Chichester), (Brighton)
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones
← M26 → M32

The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is 27.9 miles (44.9 km) long and runs between Cadnam and Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983, providing the largest two urban areas in Hampshire (Southampton and Portsmouth) with a direct motorway link. An extension into the county of West Sussex was planned but never constructed.^{[citation needed]} A number of smaller motorways were proposed, connecting the city centres of Southampton and Portsmouth to the motorway;^[1] of these only the M271 and M275 were built. Three sections of the M27 have since been widened to four lanes each way, the first between junctions 7 and 8, the second between junctions 3 and 4, and the third begins at the slip road where junction 11 joins until mid-way to junction 12.