The £10.8m scheme will take 15-months to complete with construction starting on site later this month.

Work will deliver major upgrades to one of Maidstone’s busiest roads, aiming to ease congestion, improve traffic flow, and enhance pedestrian and cycling access.

The improvements will include:

• upgrading and signalising the A249 Bearsted Road and New Cut Road roundabouts
• expanding the link road between the A249 Bearsted Road and New Cut Road to a four-lane dual carriageway
• installing new retaining walls with a design sympathetic to the local heritage
• creating a new access road to Newnham Court Shopping Village
• adding a shared path and cycleway to improve connectivity between Vinters Park and Grove Green.

The scheme has been carefully designed to maximise capacity and minimise disruption during construction, allowing much of the work to be carried out away from the existing road, so it doesn’t affect the current traffic flow.

Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Kent County Council, said: “This is a significant investment in Maidstone’s transport infrastructure that will bring long-term benefits to residents, businesses and commuters.

“By easing congestion and improving access for all road users, we’re helping to future-proof the area for continued growth and building a smarter, more resilient road network.”