PART of a Hampshire motorway will be closed every night this week as work continues on a £19m bridge replacement scheme.

The eastbound carriage of the M27 will be shut between junction 3 (for Southampton city centre) and junction 4 (for the M3) between 9pm until 6am.

A signed diversion route will be in place, with motorists advised to take the A3057 and the A27.

Engineers have spent months working on a project to replace the Romsey Road bridge over the M27 near Southampton.

In June both carriageways were closed to enable Highways England staff to lift the new structure into place and position it beside the existing bridge.

Southampton and surrounding towns were hit by a day of traffic chaos, with drivers sweltering in cars stuck in 80-minute queues.

The closure of the M27 between junction 3 (for Southampton city centre) and junction 4 (for the M3) resulted in motorists having to take long diversions to complete journeys that would normally take only a few minutes.

Highways England had warned that the motorway was likely to remain closed for the whole weekend.

But the exceptional progress made by engineers - and the lack of any major setbacks - enabled the organisation to reopen the motorway after just 36 hours.

Engineers then began to connect the new bridge to the existing A3057, which crosses the motorway.

They revealed that a final weekend closure would take place towards the end of the year to enable engineers to demolish the final part of the old bridge.

Giving details of the work due to take place this week a Highways England spokesman said: "Work to maintain journeys and ensure road user safety by replacing the Romsey Road bridge continues. A 50mph speed restriction is in place on the M27 east and westbound carriageways beneath the bridge until winter.

"In addition, the M27 eastbound between junctions 3 and 4 will be closed overnight, between 9pm and 6am, from Monday October 14 for five nights."