A bid for a whopping £49.8 million has been made by Kent County Council for the creation of a relief road at the A28 between Birchington, Acol and Westgate-on-Sea.
The bid is part of a list of high-priority road improvement schemes submitted to government as part of a £3.5 billion investment programme.
The schemes were agreed by Transport for the South East, a new regional body which brings together local authorities, business groups and the transport industry.
As part of the list, Kent County Council put forward the bid for funding for the relief road between Birchington, Acol and Westgate-on-Sea.
The bids have been made following a request from government in December for regions to agree their priorities for improving the Major Road Network – the country’s busiest and most economically important local authority A roads.
The A28 relief road would provide an alternative route, using the existing Shottendane Road which runs south of and parallel to the A28. This would be widened and improved.
The new road would link to the A28 south of Birchington and to Manston Road and Hartsdown Road, east of Westgate-on-Sea, through future development sites.
It would also provide a southern link through an extension to the existing Columbus Avenue, providing traffic relief to the village of Acol.
KCC cabinet member for highways Mike Whiting said: “The schemes we have put forward through our work with Transport for the South East will make a big difference to the lives of our residents.
“If funded we can look forward to more reliable, quicker journeys, and help cut congestion whilst supporting new housing, businesses and jobs.”
The same Road cost estimate was £5 million in the 90’s, 10 million in the naughties. £30 million in 2015, now £50 million.
I don’t believe it will ever happen!
And even less in the late 60s when I first remember it being proposed.
Go for it. They are spending money like water at the moment. To prove that Brexit will work. Money for fishing companies, money for farmers, money to keep car plants, money for new ferries, money for more customs staff. And money for new road improvements. Anything to soften the blow so that we don’t notice . So we think that Brexit is so fabulous that we will elect Boris right after, before the truth hits.
money would be better spent on a new road accross from Margate Rd (by BQ) to St Peters Rd to Dane Valley this would ease the conjestion around Drapers roundabouts and Victoria traffic lights which is crazy at all times now, would also help St Peters area
No intention of it being a relief road, it’ll be the infrastructure improvement needed for all the extra houses that will then miraculously be built in the area.
Be far better to invest a fraction of that money on better public transport. Improved bus services and upgraded rail link.
KCC has declared a “climate emergency”. Providing more facilities for cars doesn’t square with that.
Well said Tony, my own idea is there should be a tram service for the Isle, providing a park and ride facility but also linking Thanet’s towns and villages, much as the Croydon tramlink does for the south London borough.
Will it improve access to the new RSP housing estate at Manston ?
Absolutely!
Boring
The whole country’s road system is at griflock. We need good reliable alternatives.