News

Dear Editor,

I've seen a few comments on the Gazette website about the Canterbury Road project and asked Kent Highways for an update.

Gary Peak is the engineer who designed the project and he tells me: "Most of the works are now complete but we still have a number of elements to complete.

"The sign rationalisation is currently being sorted and the removal of surplus signs should be done in a couple of weeks. A small number of signs are being replaced, mainly to downsize them and this should be done a couple of weeks or so later once the new signs have been made.

"There are still coloured patches and roundels to be applied at the gateways and the signs at the southern end need to be sorted as I am not happy with how they have been put up.

"We still have some carriageway lining to be completed, this is mainly tidying up the bus stops and surrounding markings and adjusting, re-marking centrelines.

"The planting needs to be done, this was delayed when we found out that there were more services in the verges than we expected. Seb* has arranged for some trial holes to be dug to locate them precisely. As soon as he has the results he will order the trees. We are obviously chasing this as we don't want to plant them too much later in the year in case we get a very dry summer.

"The alterations to the traffic signals at Harvest Way/Uphill is being designed by our signals specialists and this should follow a little later in the year. The main works that people will see are some small trenches in the verge for cable ducts and detector loops cut into the carriageway."

(*Seb is the junior engineer working on this project. Last summer Gary and Seb spent the whole of Hawkinge Funday on a stand with an exhibition explaining the Canterbury Road project where they spoke to hundreds of people and collected ideas and comments.)

There's a lot of demand for traffic calming schemes but often disappointment when they are put in.

Traffic calming is expensive to install and can look very urban in a rural setting. Those living near traffic calming complain that the problem is simply displaced and traffic emerges like a champagne cork from the 'calmed' section as drivers hasten to make up the lost time.

Despite this I supported the Canterbury Road project as it was about more than slowing traffic and encouraging through traffic to use the relief road - it's about reclaiming the centre of the village.

That's why I put a £6,000 grant towards the planting scheme and the parish council and Hawkinge Partnership are putting in flowers beds and benches outside the shopping area.

The road works themselves have cost £110,000 spread over two financial years. To put this in context the amount spent on new Highways schemes for the whole of Shepway is around £250,000 a year.

I'm happy to listen to any ideas people might have about traffic management in Hawkinge. I'm sure locals have some good suggestions and not all of them will have a big price tag.

Please contact me at susan.carey@kent.gov.uk

Susan Carey
Kent County Councillor for the Elham Valley