Improvements start on danger road

A notorious stretch of road is to get a £2.1 million redevelopment this summer and autumn.

Considered an accident blackspot, the A252 taking in Charing, Challock and Chilham is classed as one of the 50 most dangerous A-roads in the country.

But improvements including crash barriers, improved road markings and rumble strips on the edge of the road will now be installed after cash was secured by Kent County Council.

The authority has announced the revamp work will be complete come the end of September, with a number of temporary traffic light systems being introduced during the course of that period.

The default speed limit on the stretch, except where lower limits are in force, will be reduced from 60mph to 50mph.

Work started at the Charing end of the A252 last week before focus shifts further eastwards.

Jill Leyland, chairman of Charing parish council, says she is in favour of the changes, which saw Charing Hill resurfaced last week.

“The disruption will be worthwhile as the changes should hopefully make this dangerous road much safer,” she said.

“The only further enhancement we would like to see at the moment is a speed camera to catch the drivers who think it is fun to use Charing Hill as a race track.

“We are pleased KCC consulted us regularly as the plans were developed.

“We at the parish council have set up a highways improvement group of residents with an interest in roads and traffic and it is worth noting that a number of the improvements in the Charing stretch were originally suggested by the group.”

The money for the improvements has come from the

Department for Transport’s (DfT) safer roads fund after the government invited proposals from highway authorities to improve A-roads.

KCC had hoped to receive £2.8m, but bosses said the cash was still “great news” when the money was secured in July 2018.

It followed a string of serious and fatal crashes on the road, including an accident in March 2017 that killed Chilham parish councillor Paul Hardisty near Dane Street, Chilham.

Charing Hill has already been resurfaced as part of the improvements, right, Paul Hardisty was killed in a crash on the road in Chilham in 2017