Rural roads to suffer if Southern Relief Road is built
26 Mar 2012
New evidence only made available today as part of the consultation exercise expels many of the myths surrounding the Southern Relief Road including the so-called benefits to the rural road network. According to the traffic model Highsted Road in particular will see a significant increase in traffic due to people connecting with the Southern Relief Road directly from the town centre. This is also a factor in why the north section of the road between the Kent Science Park and the A2 is predicted to have hardly any traffic, which in itself dispels the widely held belief that the Southern Relief Road would attract traffic from the A2 and Northern Relief Road, which is clearly does not.
It will also probably come as no surprise to anyone but those in Swale Borough Council that the main focus of the plan to create local jobs for local people and thereby reduce journeys also falls flat on its feet when it comes to the Kent Science Park. Traffic journeys between the Kent Science Park and the M2 are forecast to be some 350% greater than those between the Kent Science Park and the A2.
The benefits to the existing M2 Junction 5 are described as marginal and also contrary to opinions expressed by some the traffic levels at Junction 5 increase even with the Southern Relief Road in place. This is hardly surprising when the two roads intersecting with the junction are both forecast to see significant increases in the volume of traffic.
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