Explained: Canterbury’s congestion problems
There have been many roadworks taking place across Canterbury. Drivers may be facing up to a year of gridlock as many roads are shut across the city.
Why are there so many roadworks?
The number of roadworks across Canterbury is due to the City Council making improvements in Westgate with money from the levelling up fund.
This aims to improve the quality of the materials on the roads and paving while building a square for future events in the city, like the Christmas lights parade.
The project has shut the northwest side of the road between St Dunstan’s Street and Tower Way. This has diverted traffic up Rheims Way towards the London Road roundabout.
Which roads are shut nearby?
The only road through Fordwich will be shut until September as the town mayor’s house is being repaired. This has forced drivers to use the A28 Sturry Road instead.
In Harbledown, Kent County Council is carrying out carriageway works between the junctions The Mint and Chartham Hatch Road.
A diversion has been put in place towards the A2050 Harbledown Bypass.
How does this impact car parks?
The charge for parking in Canterbury is rising to encourage residents to walk into the city centre instead of driving in.
The pricing is listed in bands, with parking in the pink band costing £3.70 an hour and car parks in the yellow band costing £1.90 an hour.
Castle Row car park, near Canterbury Castle, will be shut for around nine months. The council say this is to make the car park more welcoming for visitors.
What solutions have been offered?
There has been a push for active travel across the city by Kent Connected to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. This involves car sharing, cycling or walking instead of driving.
Previously, Canterbury City Council planned to introduce a zoning plan. This would have meant that drivers would be restricted from driving through different zones.
This was scrapped by the council as it was hugely unpopular with residents.
The Park and Ride service on Sturry Road was reopened last year to encourage more people to take the bus into the city. It has not been widely used by residents and loses over £30,000 a month.