en.Wedoany.com Report, Kent County Council has recently welcomed the Department for Transport's confirmation that the A229 Blue Bell Hill road upgrade scheme will remain on the government's Major Road Network and Large Local Major projects list following a national review. The scheme, which Kent County Council began consulting on in January 2025, aims to upgrade one of Kent's busiest and most strategic routes to improve safety, reduce congestion, and support future development. This road upgrade plan involves a key section of the A229 connecting the M2 and M20 motorways, which carries around 72,000 vehicles per day and suffers from significant traffic congestion issues.
In a letter to Kent County Council, the Department for Transport confirmed that the road upgrade scheme has passed the review stage, but standard business case and approval processes must still be completed before formal funding is allocated. The Department also stated it will continue to support the scheme's development and work closely with Kent County Council to ensure the project progresses as planned. According to a written answer published by the UK Parliament in February 2025, Kent County Council plans to submit an Outline Business Case for the project to the Department for Transport in the summer of 2026. If approved, the Department could fund up to 85% of the total project cost.
As part of this road upgrade plan, Kent County Council is committed to starting construction by the end of March 2029, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals. The Department for Transport has confirmed it will work with the council to help meet this timeline. Based on information previously released by Kent County Council, if funding and planning permission are secured, the project is expected to start construction in 2029 and be completed by 2031, finishing before the opening of the Lower Thames Crossing. With a total investment of approximately £250 million, the road upgrade plan aims to alleviate long-standing congestion on this route through measures such as lane widening and junction improvements.
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