Start of link road construction pushed back to 2026

A major by-pass project in Kent has been delayed by a further 18 months due to funding issues, according to new papers.

Construction of the £41m Sturry link road was due to start in autumn 2023 but was pushed back to mid-2025.

But documents for the Canterbury Joint Transportation Board (JTB) reveal the work is now scheduled to start in April 2026, with completion set for December 2027,

The project aims to link the A291 Sturry Hill to the A28 Sturry Road and ease congestion into nearby Canterbury.

Traffic would avoid the railway level crossing at Sturry which causes jams at peak times with around 18,000 vehicle movements per day, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Neil Baker, cabinet member for highways and transport on Kent County Council, said he remains “hopeful” the project will start to move “at pace”.

Councillor Baker said: “As much of the funding for this project comes from numerous development sites, timescales are hugely impacted by the planning process – which is outside the control of the county council.”

The new road will run alongside hundreds of new homes planned for the former Greenfields Shooting Grounds.

The viaduct will transport vehicles over the the River Stour and the railway level crossing before emerging on the Sturry Road, where a new roundabout will be built.

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