A 1.5-mile section of the approach road to the south of the Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey, UK, will open to traffic in September this year.

The new road is intended to remove the only section of single carriageway on the A3 between London and Portsmouth.

The 1.2-mile tunnel, worth £371m ($576m), is the UK’s longest underground road tunnel.

The tunnel is scheduled to open in 2011 and is expected to improve journey times between London and Portsmouth.

The Hindhead Tunnel is part of the four-mile A3 Hindhead Bypass road project.