Work is underway on a new £6.5m spine road which will be good for business and local residents in Thanet.

The road will be an important link between Westwood Cross and the Newington estate in Ramsgate, including the Marlowe Academy. It will open up the EuroKent site and will help to improve access to new developments at Westwood Cross. At the same time, it will help to ease local congestion by avoiding the old Haine Road.

The single carriageway road will run from a new roundabout just north of St John's Avenue and go across the EuroKent site to connect to New Haine Road, which was built to serve earlier development. A new foul sewer will be laid during the work to serve future development.

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Drivers will be encouraged to use the new road once it is complete and later a traffic-calming scheme will be introduced in Haine Road.

KCC, Thanet District Council, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Rose Farm Estates are jointly funding the new road. Work is expected to be completed in September.

KCC Cabinet Member for Highways, Keith Ferrin, said: "This new road is important as it will make it easier for motorists to get around this busy area of Thanet, particularly on the EuroKent site. I am pleased work is underway as residents and businesses alike will benefit when the road is complete."

Leader of Thanet District Council, Sandy Ezekiel, also commented: "Seeing work get underway on this new road is excellent news for Thanet. It is a project that has been eagerly anticipated by local people and I am sure that they will warmly welcome this scheme. The work also sends out a strong message to potential investors that are open for business and determined to have the best possible transport links in Thanet."

The contract has been awarded to Jackson Civil Engineering and is being managed by Kent Highway Services. For more details, contact Kent Highway Services on: 08458 247 800, or email: [email protected].

(JM)