Lib Dem’s Sarah Smith has called for a road tunnel to be built under the A20 in a bid to make the area safer.

Mrs Smith has also noted that it may cost more upfront than bridges and pedestrian underpasses, but feels it will prove a much better investment in the long term.

She said: “It’s time to make a serious investment in our town’s safety and regeneration.

“Earlier this month a 31-year old local man was killed when hit by a car on Townwall Street, the wide road that serves the Port of Dover and separates Dover seafront from the rest of the town.

“Accidents like these ruin lives for families and for drivers and they are avoidable, we must make them a thing of the past.”

Ms Smith said that cities like Oslo and Warsaw have to deal with similar traffic problems but have built an underground tunnel to make the environment clean and safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

She added: “This road, a main route for traffic into Europe’s busiest ferry port is critical for our national and local economy, but Dover town pays a heavy price for this.

“Residents suffer noise, air pollution, and the division of town and seafront. Townwall Street is a great barrier to effective regeneration.

“I call on the Harbour Board and Dover District Council to make a road tunnel part of the plans for regenerating the Western Docks and the St James area. Let’s think big. Now is the time and Dover’s worth it.”