Kent’s biggest road projects: From Brenley Corner and the Stockbury Flyover to the North Thanet Relief Road and Lower Thames Crossing
Many motorists will have come across a “road closed” or “delays expected” sign when travelling across the county at the moment due to the amount of work being undertaken. In Kent several huge road projects are currently underway, however, some are still waiting to get the big green tick of approval and others just never seem to come to fruition.
Kent has more than its fair share of ongoing road works projects. Stock Picture: James Mackenzie
KentOnline has compiled a comprehensive list of all these projects and their current status below. Underway
– The M2 Junction 5 Project
National Highway’s GBP92 million scheme to improve the sliproads and junction approaches onto the M2 from the A249 is now within its final year of construction. Once completed, currently estimated by 2025, the improvements will see a flyover built over the Stockbury roundabout, which will ease journeys for drivers travelling between Maidstone, Sittingbourne and Sheppey. Improvement works, which began in Autumn 2021, have seen the existing roundabout replaced with a new interchange and a flyover to provide free-flowing movement on the A249.
Progress is being made on the Stockbury flyover M2 junction 5 project. Picture: Phil Drew
– The Grovehurst roundabout revamp
Kent County Council’s (KCC) GBP32.7m revamp of the Grovehurst roundabout began last summer and is expected to be completed in early 2025.
A second bridge over the A249, between Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey, at Grovehurst Road, Kemsley, is currently under construction. The scheme will use the existing bridge but will replace its dumbbell design with a new one-way gyratory system incorporating a second bridge. This will be built on the Sheppey side of the roundabout and include a cycleway and footpath linking through to Iwade.
Aerial photo of Grovehurst Roundabout, Kemsley. Picture: Swale council
The bulk of the cost came from a GBP38.1million grant from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), the rest has been paid for with contributions from housing developers.
– Running Horse “Turbo Roundabout”
Work started on Monday (April 15) at the Running Horse Roundabout on the A229 Blue Bell Hill, near Maidstone. The junction will be closed overnight for three weeks for a six-figure redesign including multi-coloured road markings and new signage.
It will be shut from 8pm to 5am as it is converted into a “Turbo Roundabout” which is said to cost KCC around GBP650,000. Click here[1] to find out more about the project and what the roundabout entails. It has been put forward in the hope of reducing crashes on the junction as well as improving lane discipline by users.
The Running Horse Roundabout near Maidstone. Picture: Kent County Council
How the turbo roundabout would work
Waiting for approval
– The Lower Thames Crossing National Highways hopes to tackle congestion problems at the Dartford Crossing by constructing 14.3 miles of new road and a 2.6 mile tunnel linking Kent with Essex via the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. If approved it is hoped it would improve air quality in Dartford by diverting 13 million vehicles away every year.
However, the plans to build Britain’s longest road tunnel have become “the longest application” on record.
How the Lower Thames Crossing will look.
Credit: Highways England
Proposals to build the GBP9bn crossing have seen reports amass some 359,866 pages spread over 2,838 separate documents submitted. Last year it was revealed National Highways had spent GBP267m on the planning application alone[2]. The plans are being assessed by the Planning Inspectorate, and if approved, work could start in 2026 with it being open to traffic by 2030.
– North Thanet Link In May last year, major plans were revealed for a new link road with cycling and walking routes in Thanet.
North Thanet Link Road off the A28 Canterbury Road
If plans go ahead, there will be around six miles worth of works to be completed off the A28 Canterbury Road. It will also affect roads near Manston Airport and up towards Margate.
The purpose of the scheme is to “ensure that the local highway network can accommodate the changing traffic demands that come with increased population and other growth,” according to official papers. Subject to funding arrangements and approval processes, a planning application is expected to be submitted in Summer/Autumn 2024[3]. – Brenley Corner
Brenley Corner. Picture: Google
In October the government announced that one of Kent’s most congested junctions was to be upgraded[4] using money saved from scrapping the northern leg of HS2.
Brenley Corner, which links the A2, M2 and Thanet Way on the outskirts of Faversham, will be improved with part of the GBP36 billion expected to be saved by dropping the Birmingham to Manchester line. No details have been released about how the money will be spent at Brenley Corner, but action has long been called for at the site as it becomes notoriously snarled up during rush hours. The projects that have failed to begin
– Sittingbourne relief roads
Traffic in Sittingbourne has grown increasingly bad
For years there has been speculation and talk about new major routes being built to reduce congestion and help traffic flow in Sittingbourne. The first is the Southern Relief Road (SRR) which would include a new M2 motorway junction referred to as Junction 5A. It would link the A2 to the M2 and was first planned in 2004 when the Kent Science Park proposed the road in order to fulfil its own expansion goal.
The second is the Northern Relief Road (NRR). In 2022 developers Quinn Estates promised to complete part of the road, which would reduce traffic around the town, if its plans to build more than 1,000 homes in its Highsted Park development were given the the green light.
Traffic leading up to temporary traffic lights in Staplehurst Road, Sittingbourne
This long-awaited connection would go through the Eurolink trading estate and connect Swale Way with the A2 at Bapchild. A statement from its planning application reads: “A fundamental part of the proposals is the completion of the Bapchild section of the NRR and its integration with the proposed development and the wider Highsted Park masterplan, namely the proposed Southern Relief Road (SRR) which would link the A2 to the M2.
“The completion of the Bapchild section of the NRR is a long-standing policy aspiration of the council.” – The Leeds-Langley Bypass The Leeds-Langley bypass has been discussed for decades but never realised.
Traffic on the A20 London Road. Picture: Grant Falvey
However, a GBP1million pot has been set aside to explore the viability of the major relief road scheme.
The money has been allocated to explore the construction of a highway to link the A274 and A20 at M20 junction 8, on the outskirts of Maidstone. Currently the two main arteries linking the A roads are Willington Street, near Maidstone, and the B2163 through Langley and Leeds. In recent years, Maidstone council and KCC have been unable to agree a strategy to move the project forward.
The road, if built at an estimated cost of GBP55-65million, would almost certainly come with housing.
Road closed sign.
Stock photo: James Mackenzie
The route would stretch between the Loc8 logistics park near M20 junction 8 and the Four Wents at Langley. – Blue Bell Hill Junction Upgrades This year KCC was expected to begin work on GBP199 million upgrades to roundabouts on the A229 at Blue Bell Hill, between Maidstone and Medway.
However, although it was not finalised, the construction date has now been pushed back to 2027, with completion three years later. The scheme looks to revamp the roundabouts on the A229 at the M2 junction 3 and M20 junction 6 to tackle traffic issues and improve journey time and road safety. It will allow the road to accommodate an increase in future congestion, expected due to the Lower Thames Crossing and other proposed housing developments.
Since being announced in September 2020, a public consultation has been held asking for feedback on three design options and following this one was dropped from the proposals.
The first design includes upgrading the Lord Lees and Taddington roundabouts at the M2 junction and removing the link between the Bridgewood and Lord Lees roundabouts.
References
- ^ Click here (www.kentonline.co.uk)
- ^ had spent GBP267m on the planning application alone (www.kentonline.co.uk)
- ^ planning application is expected to be submitted in Summer/Autumn 2024 (www.kentonline.co.uk)
- ^ one of Kent’s most congested junctions was to be upgraded (www.kentonline.co.uk)