A stretch of the M27 with a 50mph zone is set to stay for months longer, causing fresh misery to drivers.

The speed limit was first put in place by National Highways on November 17, 2022, when a car crashed into the side of the bridge over the River Hamble.

After months of confusion as to when the works between junctions 8 and 9 would be completed, the Government agency finally announced last month that they were done.

But drivers expecting the 50mph speed limit to be lifted at this stage were to be sorely disappointed.

National Highways has since confirmed that while the stretch of road itself is back to normal, the restrictions will remain well into summer next year.

A spokesperson from National Highways said: “The works to replace the parapets on the M27 River Hamble Bridge are complete and traffic management removed from the bridge.

“However, traffic management and 50mph speed restriction remains in place, with lane 1 closures in both directions, over the M27 at Junction 8 Windhover Interchange Bridges.

“This is due to deterioration of the supports below, which means that the speed restriction will remain in place until summer 2024.

“A bridge propping scheme is in development for this structure to reopen all lanes, in the summer of 2024.”

Drivers have previously shared their concerns about the safety of the 50mph zone, with one man saying he has seen several near misses as drivers slam on their brakes to slow down.

Meanwhile, other drivers ignore the signs entirely due to it being a small stretch of the road that is affected.

This comes after National Highways confirm that the design stage of the much-delayed M27 resurfacing works is now complete with the project is on track to go ahead in 2024.

Taking place only a junction up the motorway from the River Hamble bridge, the works will make a section of the M27 quieter for residents between junctions 5 and 7.

It has also been reported that the way the Hamble River bridge is built means it could cause an environmental disaster.

If fuel was to spill out due to an accident on the bridge over the River Hamble, then this could have devastating consequences for the environment.

This comes after the River Hamble Harbour Authority asked National Highways for an update on the M27 bridge drainage feasibility study, which was due in September 2023.

In response to the authority, National Highways said that due to issues with assessing and strengthening the bridge - they had pushed back the deadline for the study.