The new A2 slip-road aims to ease traffic congestion in Canterbury despite local objections
Canterbury: So, the council just gave the thumbs up for a new slip-road off the A2 into Wincheap. It’s a big deal, costing £8.8 million, but not everyone is thrilled about it.
Some councillors think the design is a total mess, calling it a “nasty snarl of traffic lights.” The idea is to help with the traffic jam situation on Canterbury’s ring-road, which is pretty congested.
This project has been in the works for a while. They first got planning permission back in 2018, but it expired before anything happened. Now, Barratt David Wilson is back with a new plan, and they’re on the hook to build it.
During the meeting, one councillor even said they’d avoid the area out of “fear of death or mutilation.” Yikes! The new slip-road will lead drivers to a traffic-light junction at Ten Perch Road, where they can go left to the retail park or right onto the A28.
The goal is to cut down on the traffic coming off the A2 at Harbledown, which is a big contributor to the mess in the city. But there are worries about how this will affect the Wincheap Park and Ride, as it’ll take up some of that space.
Some locals are really concerned. One resident pointed out that the junction already has a ton of traffic lights, and adding more could just make things worse. Another cyclist said the plans are too focused on cars and don’t do enough for bikes or public transport.
Even some councillors are worried about the design. They think it looks ugly and won’t work well. One said they wouldn’t want to cycle there because it feels unsafe. Another councillor agreed, saying it’s a “cheap and nasty” solution to the traffic problem.
There are conditions tied to this approval, like making sure the junction is built before a certain number of homes in a nearby development are occupied. The housebuilder wants to push back that deadline a bit, but they’re hoping to finish everything in about five years.
Despite some councillors supporting the slip-road, the final decision still rests with the highways authority, which will review the detailed plans. It’s a mixed bag of opinions, and it looks like the debate isn’t over yet.
