M20 Junction 9 and Drovers Improvement

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Type: Junction improvement for use by all traffic
Status: Under construction
Authority: Kent County Council
Cost: £ 16.5m
Finance: Regional Infrastructure Fund
Timescale: 2010-2011

Scheme Outline

Work to widen each of the existing sliproads to the M20 at junction 9 from one to two lanes, and to widen the roundabout from two to three lanes.

The scheme includes the widening of the nearby Drovers Roundabout (junction with the A20 and A28), and the installation of a new Park and Ride site for Ashford.

The scheme will also remove an existing foot and cycle path that requires pedestrians to cross the eastbound entry sliproad to the M20 immediately before the start-of-restrictions sign. Foot and cycle traffic will now cross on a parallel footbridge.

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Progress

26 July 2010	Work started in June 2010. The junction now has narrowed lanes and a 30mph speed limit around the works.
5 May 2011	The M20 will be closed between Junctions 9 and 10 from 6pm 14th May to 5am 16th May in order to install the new footbridge.
11 May 2011	Kent Highways Agency have announced numerous closures between 11th and 24th May involving roads around the area of the junction, including the A20, A28 and A292, in order to re-cut the loops to traffic signals prior to upgrading them.
21 June 2011	The footbridge has now been installed, and the approaches to it are being constructed. Intermittent closures to approach roads and sliproads have been taking place during the past week. The entry slip to the M20 westbound will be closed on 29th June.
16 October 2011	The scheme is still not complete. Although the footbridge was installed in May, it is still not open to the public, and there are still numerous cones and surfacing work going on. Local councillor Michael Claughton has said the project's delays are "not good enough".
24 October 2011	The footbridge will now be opened at the end of the month. Kent Highways Agency manager Bryan Sweetland has said: “We have made quite good progress with the bridge and it’s going to be ready for the first pedestrians to use it at the end of the month."