UK M2 upgrade
The upgrade works are intended to help mitigate traffic congestion on a daily basis. Credit: Rudy and Peter Skitterians / Pixabay.

The UK Government has authorised vital upgrade works at Junction Five on the M2, which connects with the A249 at Stocksbury, Kent.

The £92m project was approved this week by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

The upgrade works are intended to help mitigate traffic congestion and ensure smoother journeys for thousands of drivers. The work is also expected to reduce road collisions by almost a third.

The scope of works will include replacing the existing roundabout with a flyover to ensure seamless travelling on the A249. Two dedicated free-flowing slip roads will be built for M2 westbound and eastbound traffic.

The programme will also include closing Maidstone Road to the A249 Stockbury Roundabout and the existing junction of Oad Street with the A249.

Maidstone Road will be re-routed to connect with Oad Street and a link road will be built south of Oad Street to connect with the A249 Stockbury Roundabout.

Main construction works for the project are expected to start in September.

Highways England South East regional delivery director Chris Welby-Everard said: “Improving the Stockbury Interchange will bring real benefits to the drivers who use this junction daily, and it will improve the flow of traffic to provide a safer and more integrated network for everyone.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their engagement and contribution to the development of this scheme to date. We will now progress to the next phase, ready for work to begin in September.”

Earlier this week, Highways England drafted updated guidance for the Highway Code to help drivers understand how motorways and high-speed roads operate.

The updated guidance includes advice on where to stop during an emergency, the importance of not driving in a lane that is marked as closed by a red ‘X’ indication, and the use of variable speed limits to manage congestion.