National Highways completes £112M A2 upgrade

National Highways' congestion-busting A2 Bean to Ebbsfleet scheme has now opened to traffic, with work completed by Balfour Beatty.

Both junctions (Bean and Ebbsfleet) have been upgraded at a cost of £112M to increase their capacity by adding new lanes to their existing roundabouts and slip roads. At Bean a new bridge has also been built over the A2 dual carriageway.

The scheme will tackle congestion and support local economic development and housing growth in north west Kent.

The upgraded junctions have already helped support the local economy including supporting new jobs and 15,000 new homes, which have also been supported by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.

The Ebbsfleet Development Corporation contributed £45M funding for the project.

National Highways regional delivery director Chris Welby Everard emphasised the importance of the road.

“The A2 is a key route connecting people, communities and businesses, including the Bluewater shopping centre, between London and the Kent Thameside area," he said.

“Upgrading it has also provided additional capacity to accommodate the many new developments proposed, while improving journey times and increasing safety, which is good news for the local and regional economy.”

Roads minister Baroness Vere added: “This scheme will be welcomed by local residents and businesses alike, who will now be able to benefit from the improved journey times and increased capacity from the new junction.

“The A2 Bean to Ebbsfleet scheme received £67M from government and has already created new jobs as well as 15,000 new homes, demonstrating the enormous significance local roads projects like this can have.”

The Bean and Ebbsfleet junctions are on the busy A2 trunk road. The Bean junction connects the Bluewater shopping centre and the B255 to the A2, while the Ebbsfleet junction connects the A2 with the B259 Southfleet Road.

The improvements at the Bean junction have broadly followed the existing road layout, an additional bridge over the A2 next to the existing bridge, and a new slip road onto the A2 for eastbound traffic.

The improvements to the Ebbsfleet junction have also followed the existing road layout, with the existing roundabouts being enlarged and controlled by traffic signals. The link road between the roundabouts has been widened to a dual carriageway. The eastbound and westbound slip roads to the A2 has also been widened.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation chief executive Ian Piper described the completion of the work as a "significant step forward" for the Ebbsfleet Garden City area.

“We are pleased that our investment and collaboration with National Highways will help meet the needs of the growing number of local residents in North Kent," he said.

"The cycling and walking measures introduced are another example of working in partnership to contribute to Ebbsfleet’s Sustainable Transport Strategy, which will deliver a connected network of facilities for those taking part in active travel and are integral to our commitment to facilitating accessible alternatives to motorised transport.

“National Highways have selected to adopt the Ebbsfleet landscape palette to ensure that any planting will be climate resilient and enrich biodiversity, creating an attractive gateway to the Garden City.”

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