Highways Agency
Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers
The need for the scheme
Phase 2: Pepperhill to Cobham
The need for the scheme
The A2 between Bean and Cobham carries over 110,000 vehicles per day and suffers from considerable congestion, particularly during peak hours. In the future, as traffic flows on the road increase and local regeneration in the Kent Thames-side area of North Kent accelerates, this situation will worsen. The Scheme is designed to alleviate this congestion, improve safety and contribute to an integrated and sustainable transport strategy for the Kent Thames-side area. This would be achieved by improving service levels and journey time reliability and by providing better access to local regeneration areas.
What are the proposed options?
What are the proposed options?
Three possible widening options have been developed and are outlined below. For all options the proposals would be the same to the east of the Marling Cross junction. This allows the retention of Thong Lane bridge and avoids any direct impact on Shorne and Ashenbank Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
A "Comparison of Route Options" table and plan showing the three options can be found on the next page.
1 Blue Route (Asymmetrical Widening)
With this option the northern edge of the existing carriageway would remain where it is and the additional road width would be achieved by widening to the south. The only exception to this would be at Tollgate junction and Marling Cross junction, where the alignment would be symmetrical to allow existing bridges to be retained. A new junction layout would be provided at the Tollgate junction and changes would be made to the slip roads at the Marling Cross junction. This option would minimise land acquisition.
2 Purple Route (Parallel Widening)
This option would involve constructing a completely new four lane London bound carriageway parallel and to the south of the existing A2 between Pepperhill and the Marling Cross junction. The present London bound carriageway would then be widened to four lanes and become the new coast bound carriageway. The redundant width of the present coast bound carriageway would then be broken up and landscaped, providing a buffer zone up to 17m wide between residential areas and the road. New junction layouts would be provided at the Tollgate junction, where Wrotham Road bridge would be widened to the south, and at the Marling Cross junction, where the existing bridge over the A2 would need to be demolished and a new one constructed to span the new carriageway. The need for land acquisition would be greater than the Blue Route.
3 Red Route (Off-Line Option)
This option would involve constructing a new off-line section of the A2 between Pepperhill and the Marling Cross junction. It would be built as close to the line of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link as possible. The existing A2 along this section would be broken up and landscaped. The existing bridges would need to be demolished and new ones constructed. New junction layouts would be provided at the Tollgate and Marling Cross junctions. The need for land acquisition would be greater than either the Blue Route or the Purple Route.
Other Options Considered
A fourth option - symmetrical widening - was considered but rejected early in the design process. This option would have involved adding one extra lane to each side of the existing road. It would have had significant environmental impacts associated with moving traffic closer to residential areas along the southern edge of Gravesend and would have been more difficult to construct due to the presence of significant public utility services in the northern verge.
Comparison of Route Options
Comparison of Route Options
The summary of the effects of the route options is shown in the "Comparison of Route Options" table below.
| Route Option | Length: kilometres (miles) | Economics | Proximity of properties to A2 | Landtake, hectares (acres) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realigned A2 | Slip roads and local roads | Construction cost (inc land) £m | Overall economic value* | No. of residential properties within (m) | No. of commercial and community interests within (m) | ||||
| 0-50 | 50-300 | 0-50 | 50-300 | ||||||
| Blue Route | 6.5 (4.1) | 2.9 (1.8) and 1.3 (0.8) |
54.8 | Good | 193 | 2332 | 16 | 21 | 8.4 (21) |
| Purple Route | 6.5 (4.1) | 2.3 (1.4) and 1.8 (1.1) |
63.9 | Good | 83 | 2274 | 13 | 14 | 15.5 (38) |
| Red Route | 6.5 (4.1) | 2.8 (1.8) and 2.2 (1.3) |
60.5 | Good | 8 | 1422 | 8 | 18 | 51.8 (129) |
* Overall economic value is obtained by comparing the savings in vehicle operating costs, travel time and accident costs with the capital costs of the scheme (which includes delays to traffic during construction).
Comparison of Route Options (continued)
Phase 2: Pepperhill to Cobham
Comparison of Route Options (continued)
The summary of effects of the route options is shown in the "Comparison of Route Options" table below.
| Route Option | Traffic | Design & Construction | Environment | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Route |
|
| Noise | Little change. |
| Air Quality | Little change. | |||
| Landscape | Marginal effect on local landscape quality and visual impact. | |||
| Biodiversity | Slight negative impact on existing nature conservation interest. | |||
| Heritage | Slight negative impact on known archaeology. Limited potential for impacts on unknown archaeology. | |||
| Water | Improvements in water quality and land drainage with the introduction of pollution control and flow attenuation measures. | |||
| Purple Route |
|
| Noise | Noticeable reduction in traffic noise levels for residential areas along the southern edge of Gravesend. |
| Air Quality | Some improvement in local air quality for residential areas along the southern edge of Gravesend. | |||
| Landscape | Some improvement in local landscape quality and a reduction in visual impact. | |||
| Biodiversity | As Blue Route, but also some potential for habitat creation and longer term improvements. | |||
| Heritage | Slight to moderate negative impact on known archaeology. Increased potential for impacts on unknown archaeology. | |||
| Water | As Blue Route. | |||
| Red Route |
|
| Noise | Substantial improvement in traffic noise levels for residential areas along the southern edge of Gravesend. |
| Air Quality | Substantial improvement in local air quality for residential areas along the southern edge of Gravesend. | |||
| Landscape | Some improvement in local landscape quality and a substantial reduction in visual impact. Slight negative effect on Green Belt. | |||
| Biodiversity | As Blue Route, but also some considerable potential for habitat creation and longer term improvements. | |||
| Heritage | Slight to moderate negative impact on known archaeology. Significant potential for impacts on unknown archaeology. | |||
| Water | As Blue Route. |
Phase 2 Plan
Phase 2: Pepperhill to Cobham
Phase 2 Plan
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Your Views
Your Views
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposals should write to the Highways Agency at the Birmingham address given on the next page of this site. The closing date for comments is 4th June 2001.
Only after carefully considering all comments and representations will the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions decide on a preferred route to take forward.
Copies of the Scheme Assessment Report (SAR) and the Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) may be purchased from the Highways Agency at the Birmingham address. The Scheme Assessment Report is priced at £8.00 for Volume 1 (text) and £58.00 for Volume 2 (figures) and the Environmental Assessment Report is priced at £11.00 for Volume 1 (text) and £50.00 for Volume 2 (figures).
Further Information
Further Information
Copies of the Scheme Assessment Report and the Environmental Assessment Report may be inspected free of charge during office hours at the following deposit locations:
- Kent County Council, Strategic Planning, Invicta House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XX
- Coldharbour Library, Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 8AE
- Highways Agency, Information Point, St Christopher House, Southwark Street, London, SE1 0TE
- Gravesham Borough Council, Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 1AU
- Gravesend Library, Windmill Street, Gravesend , Kent, DA12 1BE
- Highways Agency, Room C8, 5 Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL
- Dartford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1DR
- Bean Post Office, Southfleet Road, Bean, Dartford, Kent, DA2 8BS
- Highways Agency, Federated House, London Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SZ
You can also visit the scheme website at: www.a2beancobham.co.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency on 08457 50 40 30