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Smoother journeys on A20 and through M20 junction 1 in north Kent

Government Communications (NDS)

12 March 2012

Work is due to start on Wednesday 14 March to repair the concrete surface of about 1.5 miles of the eastbound carriageway of the A20 from Crittalls Corner to the entry slip road at junction 1 of the M20.At junction 1 of the eastbound M20, besides repairs, sections of damaged concrete need to be completely removed and replaced with new material. This will involve a weekend closure of the eastbound M20 at junction 1.The whole stretch of the eastbound A20 from Crittalls Corner to just past junction 1 of the M20 will then be treated to provide a smoother surface and road markings will be repainted. Clive Cooper, Highways Agency asset manager, said:“There should be a marked improvement once this work has been completed. At the moment the road surface is in a poor condition for drivers, so as well as some minor concrete repairs, our contractor will be removing and replacing whole sections of the road and then resurfacing the whole section. “The new surface, while retaining anti-skid properties, will be smoother than it was, and it will be hardwearing, reducing the need for future maintenance requirements, which will be good news for drivers. “The work has been carefully planned and so will be carried out largely using lane closures, overnight when traffic flows are lowest, to minimise disruption. During the weekend closure, the fresh concrete will need to be left to cure before it can be safely used by drivers. This may give the false impression that the carriageway is closed and no work is happening. I would like to assure drivers we will do all we can to reopen the carriageway as quickly as possible.“We would still advise drivers affected by the closure to leave a little extra time for their journeys.”Work will start on Wednesday 14 March with two overnight closures of the eastbound A20 between Crittalls Corner and the entry slip road at junction 1 of the M20. These closures will be between 10pm and 5am each night. The eastbound M20 at junction 1 will then be closed from 11pm on Friday 16 March to 5.30am Monday 19 March. There will then be further overnight closures of the eastbound carriageway between Crittalls Corner and the M20 junction 1 entry slip road for four nights from Monday 19 March.The Swanley Interchange entry slip road on to the M20 will also be closed overnight for three nights from Tuesday 20 March for improvement work. Clearly signed diversions will be in place during all closures.Similar carriageway work is due to be carried out on the westbound carriageway at a later date. Details will be publicised in advance.