Kent's £77m Link Road Set to Transform Traffic Across Thanet

Plans have been formally submitted for the £77 million North Thanet Link Road, bringing one of Kent's most significant highway schemes a step closer to construction.

Designed to ease congestion, improve journey reliability and unlock future housing growth, the project is expected to reshape transport across Thanet for decades to come.

A major new road scheme designed to tackle congestion and improve connectivity across east Kent has reached a significant milestone after plans for the £77 million North Thanet Link Road were formally submitted.

The long-awaited project, led by Kent County Council (KCC), will create a new six-mile strategic highway linking the A28 near Birchington with Manston Road, providing motorists with an alternative east-west route through Thanet while reducing pressure on one of the area's busiest roads.

The submission follows Government approval of the scheme's outline business case, clearing the way for the planning process to begin after several years of delays caused by rising construction costs and funding approvals.

Construction is now expected to begin in 2028, subject to planning consent and final Government funding.

A New Route Around Congested Communities

The proposed road will bypass Birchington-on-Sea, Westgate-on-Sea and Garlinge, creating a new corridor designed to remove through traffic from existing residential routes.

Currently, more than 15,000 vehicles use the A28 Canterbury Road each day between Birchington and Westgate, with traffic forecasts predicting a further increase of around 3,000 daily journeys over the next two decades as housing development continues across the district.

One of the key drivers behind the project is the planned delivery of approximately 1,600 new homes on the outskirts of Birchington, placing additional pressure on an already congested network.

Council modelling suggests the new Shottendane Road corridor could remove around 2,500 vehicle movements per day from the existing A28, significantly improving journey times and reducing congestion through local communities.

Supporting Future Growth

The wider scheme extends beyond the construction of a new road.

Improvements are also planned for Manston Road and Shottendane Road, including carriageway widening and junction enhancements designed to increase capacity and improve traffic flow.

A new connection linking Hartsdown Road, Shottendane Road and Manston Road in Margate will further strengthen east-west connectivity across Thanet.

Without these improvements, council forecasts indicate that the village of Acol could experience traffic increases of up to 7,000 vehicles per day, placing significant pressure on local roads.

Next Stage of Delivery

With the planning application now lodged, Kent County Council will begin progressing land acquisition and the statutory orders required before submitting a Full Business Case to the Department for Transport.

Approval of the final business case would unlock the majority of Government funding needed to deliver the £76.7 millionproject.

Investing in Thanet's Future

The North Thanet Link Road is being promoted as a key piece of infrastructure that will support economic growth, improve journey reliability and enable future housing and employment development across the district.

If approved, it will become one of the largest highway investments currently planned in Kent, providing a modern strategic transport corridor capable of supporting the region's long-term growth while helping relieve congestion on one of east Kent's busiest road networks.