Work starts on £122 million road widening scheme » Communities » 24dash.com

Work has started on the £122 million A2 Pepperhill to Cobham widening scheme in North West Kent to boost jobs and support business.

Roads Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman last Friday took control of a pile-driving machine for construction of a new bridge at Tollgate.

Once complete in early 2009, the widened A2 will link with the extra traffic capacity provided by the nearby £120 million improvement scheme on the A2/A282 near Dartford, benefiting drivers from the Medway towns, Dartford and Gravesend.

Over 100,000 vehicles a day use the A2 at this point.

The schemes will benefit drivers heading for the Ebbsfleet International railway station and the Kent Thameside and Thames Gateway, the biggest regeneration project in Europe.

Both schemes are being managed by the Highways Agency which operates motorways and strategic roads in England.

Dr Ladyman said: "These two major road schemes are good news for thousands of drivers who use these routes daily. The projects demonstrate the Government's continued investment in the strategic road network to support economic growth in Kent. Both projects will bring great benefits by improving safety, reducing congestion and improving journey time reliability. Local people will benefit from less traffic noise and better air quality when the schemes are complete."

Badger setts on land next to the A2 will be moved; special fencing has been installed to prevent animals running onto the road and extensive environmental work will be carried out.

Phil Cheesmur, Highways Agency project leader, said: "We have already started site clearance and this will continue until the end of the year. The major construction work starts in January 2007."

Improvements to the A2 include a four-kilometre dual four-lane road between Pepperhill and Marling Cross, and two and half kilometre widening of the A2 to dual four-lanes between Marling Cross and Cobham.

New junctions will be built at Tollgate and Marling Cross, a new bridge will be built at Thong Lane, and new footbridges at Ifield Court and Church Road.

The movement of part of the new road away from housing together with low noise surfacing will benefit people living in about 2,500 properties while noise levels will be halved for residents in 251 properties. About 390 properties will enjoy an improvement in air quality, half the number of properties in the local Air Quality Management Area. The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2009.

The second major road scheme in the area, the A2/A282 Dartford improvement started in September and will be ready in spring 2008. This scheme involves the creation of new roads to link the northbound A282 and the A2 eastbound, new lanes on the A2 westbound for traffic joining the M25 going south, and a fourth lane in each direction on the A2 from Junction 2 of the M25 to Bean junction.

Two new viaducts alongside Littledale Viaduct and a flyover over the A2 and M25 will be built and improvement to drainage and a reduction in noise pollution by using low noise road surfacing. Contractor for both schemes is Costain Ltd.