Community panel to support road works plans

Business, civic and community leaders from across Kent have been invited to form an advisory panel to help Highways England, Kent County Council and Medway Council ensure road works across the county are well co-ordinated and communicated.

The panel would help advise the Kent Corridor Coordination Group, which is made up of Highways England and their delivery partners and local highway authority officers from Kent County Council and Medway Council.

Highways England said the group has already helped to benefit drivers by collaborating to rescheduling a planned footbridge replacement to minimise disruption and by facilitating routine maintenance using the same roadworks as major schemes.

Kent is facing many major works in the short to medium term including the creation of a new junction on the M20 near Ashford, upgrading the M20 to a smart motorway between junctions 3 and 5 and work to improve the resilience of the M20 to cross channel disruption.

In addition, detailed plans have been published to upgrade two junctions on the A2 and a new flyover for the M2 at junction 5 near Stockbury.

In the longer term, the new Lower Thames Crossing will be the biggest road project in a generation - creating a brand new link between Kent and Essex, spur growth and relieve the congestion at the Dartford Crossing.

The picture shows civic, business and transport leaders form across Kent gather at County Hall.