Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Related pages

• 2.1 General
• 2.2 Mainline Layout
• 2.3 Junctions
• 2.4 Traffic Flows
• 2.5 Engineering Standards
• 2.6 Highway Features
• 2.7 Structures
• 2.8 Ground Conditions

2.2 Mainline Layout

2.2.1 General

The existing layout and longitudinal section of the A2 between Bean Junction and Pepperhill Junction is shown on Figures A2.1 to A2.3 in Appendix 2.

At Bean Junction the A2 passes under Bean Road overbridge and heads in an easterly direction towards the coast, climbing gently to a high point at Swanscombe Footbridge. Between this high point (73m above sea level) and the low point at the River Ebbsfleet (11m above sea level), there is a relatively steep grade (maximum 4.2%). Near the bottom of this grade the A2 passes over Park Corner Road. To the east of this point there is a sharp horizontal curve which takes the A2 in a south easterly direction as it climbs again and passes under the Pepperhill overbridge.

2.2.2 Coast Bound Carriageway

At the west end of the Scheme, the coast bound 3 lane carriageway has a shallow downhill grade on the approach to Bean junction where there is an exit slip road. Bean Junction is located on a long vertical sag curve and a right hand horizontal curve. The low point of the sag curve is located where the carriageway passes under the Bean Road overbridge. The hardshoulder has been discontinued through the overbridge for a distance of 230m in order to accommodate a concrete barrier which protects the bridge piers.

Beyond Bean Junction the alignment turns through a large left hand curve and heads up a shallow grade (1.35%) towards Swanscombe Footbridge where there is a tight crest curve. At this point the A296 merges with the A2 (Swanscombe merge). This is the coast bound entry slip road from Bean Junction. The merge has two lanes, one of which merges with the mainline just before the footbridge and the other continues as a lane gain to form the fourth lane. Through the Swanscombe Footbridge there are reduced width lanes and a discontinuous hardshoulder for a distance of 120m; these having been introduced when the fourth lane was added in 1998.

The alignment continues as a 4 lane carriageway with a 2.5km long straight which starts just before the Swanscombe merge and heads downhill with a grade that starts at 3.8% and steepens to 4.2%. At the end of this straight there is a tight right hand curve (840m radius) which starts just after Park Corner underbridge. There are reduced width lanes and a discontinuous hardshoulder across the bridge, which were introduced to accommodate the fourth lane in 1998. On the east side of the bridge there is an exit slip road which serves a petrol filling station, the Springfield Nursery and private residential properties and connects to the Pepperhill Junction via a narrow link road. Beyond the exit the hardshoulder begins again but after a distance of only 150m it is hatched out. At this point the fourth lane is marked as a lane drop for traffic exiting at Pepperhill.

The Pepperhill exit slip road starts with a single lane but the link road from the filling station joins it to form a second lane. Both lanes continue to the signalised junction with the A2260 which crosses the Pepperhill overbridge. Beyond the Pepperhill exit slip road, the mainline has three lanes plus a hardshoulder, which continue gently up hill with a straight alignment through Pepperhill Junction where Phase 1 ends.

2.2.3 London Bound Carriageway

At the eastern end of Phase 1, there is a single lane entry slip road which passes through the Pepperhill overbridge together with the 3 lane main carriageway. The alignment then turns sharply through a left hand curve (840m radius) and starts ascending the 1.5km grade up to Swanscombe Footbridge. This grade starts at 4.2% and slackens off to 3.8% before reaching the tight crest curve at the footbridge. Beneath the Swanscombe Footbridge the hardshoulder is discontinued for a distance of 120m.

Beyond the crest at the Swanscombe Footbridge the alignment has a gentle right hand curve and a shallow downhill grade of 1.35%. At Bean Junction there is a 2 lane exit slip road where the mainline alignment curves to the left and there is a vertical sag curve as it passes under Bean Road overbridge. The hardshoulder has been discontinued through the bridge in order to accommodate a concrete barrier which protects the bridge piers. Beyond the bridge the alignment gently rises as it continues on the left hand curve and there is a two lane entry slip road with a ghost island arrangement.