New road opens up East Kent for jobs and business growth

23 May 2012

A road scheme aimed at boosting economic growth and helping create new jobs in East Kent was today opened by Local Transport Minister Norman Baker MP.

The Minister was joined by Leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter, South Thanet MP, Laura Sandys, Des Steadman representing the Hochtief VolkerFitzpatrick joint venture contractor who built the road, and local residents from Cliffsend for the official opening of the East Kent Access Road.

The new road was built by Kent County Council with £81.25 million funding from the Department for Transport and £5.75 million from KCC. It completes improvements of the A299 Thanet Way and A256 that were started in the 1980s and provides new and improved access between the Port of Dover, Ramsgate Port and Manston Airport.
 
The Minister said:

“Schemes like the East Kent Access Road are useful in giving the country the infrastructure needed for the economy to grow. That is why we provided funding of more than £80 million to deliver the scheme and why I am delighted to be here to open this important new road link today.

"This project sends the clear message that Kent is open for business by providing improved local, national and international transport links to the area as well as more reliable journey times. The scheme will also benefit local communities by diverting long-distance traffic from smaller roads leaving them free for local traffic – so it’s a win-win for Kent.”

Paul Carter said:

“Completed ahead of time and below budget, the East Kent Access Road will further transform access to this part of the county. Providing vastly improved transport links to Discovery Park – the former Pfizer site – and the EuroKent and Manston business parks in particular, it is a vital piece of the new transport map for East Kent, which will help unlock the area’s massive potential, attracting new inward investment and job opportunities for local people.

“It is the latest in a series of major achievements aimed at generating over 5,000 new jobs in East Kent. At the end of last month we launched Expansion East Kent, an ambitious, £35 million government-funded programme to provide new finance for local businesses. By helping private business to grow, Expansion East Kent aims to unlock new private sector investment of more than £300 million over the next four years to create a major driver for change in the East Kent economy.

“Further planned transport improvements include rail line-speed enhancements that will cut journey times between Thanet and London on High Speed trains to within one hour.

“The East Kent Access Road complements this work by bringing fast dual carriageway access into the heart of Thanet.”

Laura Sandys MP said:

“I always committed to put Thanet at the front of the queue. The opening of the East Kent Access Road will ensure just that, with journey times between the Ports of Ramsgate and Dover, and Manston Airport greatly reduced, we will no longer be left at the end of the line.

“As any business owner or holiday maker knows, accessibility is a top priority when considering relocating to a region or visting on holiday. In today’s competitive environment, the completion of the East Kent Access Road and the planned train upgrades in the coming years will help East Kent establish itself as a centre for business, jobs and growth. This enhanced connectivity will help show investors that East Kent is open for business!”

Speaking on behalf of Hochtief and VolkerFitzpatrick, Des Steadman, managing director of civil engineering for VolkerFitzpatrick, said:

“The joint venture is proud to have been involved in the successful delivery of this challenging infrastructure project. Our team has worked collaboratively in an integrated team with Kent County Council and Jacobs to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, including Network Rail and the local community. Innovative solutions that have reduced risk and cost have been used with key contributions from our valued supply chain. I'd like to congratulate the project team for this great achievement.”