Today is the first public meeting in Kent on the crossing proposals.

There are 24 public exhibitions across Kent and Essex in total and all responses will be considered before a final decision is made by the government later this year.

A tunnel to the east of Gravesham was exclusively revealed by the Messenger last week to be the preferred Lower Thames Crossing by Highways England.

Option A – another crossing at Dartford – looks to have been put on the back burner.

The eight-week public consultation has started with plans outlined for Option C only, a bored tunnel and surrounding road network.

Depending on which road network is chosen, this option could cost between £4.3 billion and £5.9bn.

With either of the three choices, a new road must be built to the east of Gravesend, meeting up with the A226.

The debate is whether it goes up from the A2 at Thong Lane hugging the edge of Gravesend, or across from junction 1 of the M2, going northwest around Shorne.

The meetings will be held locally at:

• Cascades Leisure Centre, February 4, 11am-7pm
• Riverside Community Hall, Dickens Road, February 5, 11am-7pm
• Shorne Village Hall, February 6, 10.30am-4pm
• Gravesham Civic Centre, February 12, 11am-7pm; and February 13, 10.30am-4pm
• Bluewater shopping centre, February 19, 12.30pm-9pm; and February 20, 10.30am-4pm
• Eastgate Events Venue, Northfleet, February 23, 11am-7pm
• Temple Hill Community Centre, Dartford, February 26, 11am-7pm
• Orchards Shopping Centre, Dartford, February 27, 10.30am-4pm
• KCC offices, King Street, Maidstone, March 7, 11am-7pm
• Corn Exchange, Rochester, March 8, 11am-7pm

For information about the proposals (including a video summary) and the exhibitions, and to give your views, visit www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk or follow@lowerthames on Twitter.