The junction, near Sittingbourne, is one of the busiest in the region and experiences long queues and heavy congestion daily. It also had one of the highest collision rates on England’s motorway network and on major A-roads nationally.
The project team has recently implemented major changes to the way drivers use the Stockbury roundabout, switching the A249 southbound traffic onto a new stretch of road on the south side of the roundabout, running adjacent to the existing carriageway.
The new section is temporarily carrying southbound traffic and once complete will become the new Oad Street link road which will carry traffic directly from Oad Street to the Stockbury roundabout.
The A249’s northbound traffic has also been switched onto the existing southbound carriageway to allow construction of the Stockbury South bridge structure.
Once complete, the flyover will allow traffic to flow without restrictions over the Stockbury roundabout, reducing delays and improving safety.
Last month Graham opened the new Maidstone link road, a new carriageway connecting Maidstone Road to Oad Street.
The project team also opened the new southbound slip road to southbound traffic. The start of this new slip road consists of continuously reinforced concrete paving (CRCP), to tie in the existing carriageway, with surfacing also recently completed. Once works are complete, the southbound diverge will have a dedicated slip road to the M2 westbound.
The switching of traffic to the southbound slip road will allow construction of the northern Stockbury flyover with the first step being the installation of 900mm diameter CFA piles.
Now the traffic has been switched, Graham is demolishing the CRCP slab beneath the existing A249 carriageway.
Recent progress has seen the construction of the southern abutment for the new Stockbury south bridge structure. The abutment is constructed with 170 cubic meters of steel-reinforced concrete.
Graham was awarded the £92m contract by National Highways in June 2021. When complete, the scheme will lead to smoother and safer journeys for hundreds of thousands of drivers each day.
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