TRAFFIC congestion on the M3 at Twyford Down is set to worsen in the future.

The completion of the last link of the motorway in 1994, to replace the Hockley traffic lights, was supposed to speed traffic flow past Winchester.

But Hampshire County Council figures show volumes now exceed capacity at rush hours, leading to delays for drivers.

Queues and stop-start traffic will become the norm through most of the day on half of the county's motorways as traffic growth increases.

Tony Ciaburro, head of transport planning at the county council, said of Twyford Down: "It is getting busier. Traffic in Hampshire is growing by 2.5 to three per cent annually, compared with 1.5 per cent nationally.

"At Twyford Down there are special conditions - the steep gradient and the number of heavy-goods vehicles.

"We are seeing the peak period spreading from 8-9am to longer.

"The M3 and the M27 are all under severe stress - there is no getting away from it."