The £2.5 million scheme is being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) to help deliver Kent County Council’s (KCC) Bus Service Improvement Plan which aims to encourage greater bus use by making Kent’s services more sustainable for the future.
Works officially commenced on Monday 4 March 2024 and will continue for an anticipated 33-week construction period. Amey has been appointed as the principal contractor to deliver the works in collaboration with Steadline Limited.
Funded by UK Government
Improvements will be made to the layout and traffic signals of the junction, which is set to save Fastrack services two minutes of journey time and reduce the impact of congestion at the Dartford crossing. Changes as part of the scheme will include:
- allowing Fastrack buses to travel along Rennie Drive in both directions
- creating a new southbound bus lane within Rennie Drive up to the Fastrack Roundabout
- adjusting footway and cycleway points to improve pedestrian and cycle use.
This news follows the announcement that KCC has launched a new 15-year contract for the Kent Thameside Fastrack service, using a fleet of zero emission vehicles.
Further Bus Service Improvement Plan initiatives will be rolled out across the county in the coming months, including a new online bus information map, several new or enhanced community transport schemes and new Real Time Information (RTI) screens at a number of Kent’s bus stops.
KCC Director of Highways & Transportation, Haroona Chughtai, said: “Fastrack services across Kent are among the busiest in the county so it is essential that passengers can rely on them. The Rennie Drive Fastrack improvement scheme is the latest initiative being delivered through our Bus Service Improvement Plan, which will provide faster and more reliable services that will keep Kent moving.”
Roads Minister Guy Opperman said: “Local people deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. I'm delighted to have worked alongside the local council and local MPs to allocate Kent almost £40 million to boost its bus services.
“The start of works on the Rennie Drive Junction to improve traffic flow is fantastic for local residents, who will soon benefit from faster, smoother and more reliable bus journeys.”
Find out more about the Rennie Drive Fastrack improvement scheme.
Notes to Editor
Fastrack is a high-quality bus rapid transit system operating in the Dartford, Ebbsfleet and Gravesham area. The existing Fastrack network has been in place since 2006 and provides fast, reliable and efficient transport across Kent Thameside. A programme of projects has been identified to deliver infrastructure to complete delivery of Fastrack in the Thameside area. It is planned that Fastrack will be extended to other districts and boroughs in Kent.
