People still need to voice their concerns about congestion at the Dartford Crossing, despite news the preferred route for a second crossing is outside the borough, according to Dartford MP Gareth Johnson.

Mr Johnson (Con) has campaigned vigorously since he was elected to represent Dartford in 2010 against the Lower Thames Crossing being built next to the Dartford Tunnel and Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.

Congestion has continued to mount in spite of the removal of the toll booths and a new road layout, and motorists face lengthy and almost daily delays travelling from Kent into Essex.

Last week Highways England announced its preferred option for a new crossing is a link road and bored tunnel to the east of Gravesend, at a cost of around £5 billion.

The start of an eight-week public consultation period involving 24 exhibitions across Kent and Essex was due to get underway today (Thursday) at Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend.

However, those living and working in Dartford cannot afford to sit back and do nothing.

“Highways England has got to improve the current situation. There is no doubt about that.” - Gareth Johnson MP

Mr Johnson, who welcomed the Highways England proposal as “great news”, said: “I want to encourage as many people from Dartford as possible to take part in the consultation to show the Department of Transport the strength of feeling locally against there being another crossing in the Dartford area. But I’m confident there will not be another crossing at Dartford – it would be madness to locate it there.”

However, Mr Johnson’s counterpart in Gravesham, MP Adam Holloway, was less enthused by Highways England’s preferred Option C, which cuts through Gravesham’s green belt, and said a crossing at Dartford, termed Option A, was still possible.

Speaking after a meeting with local councillors in Gravesend on the day the announcement was made, Mr Holloway said: “Both options remain firmly on the table, according to the people who will make the decision – which is the government.”

He is also encouraging his constituents to have their say, setting out his views on his Facebook page.

Option A, which considered plans for a tunnel and a bridge, was estimated to cost £1.25bn.

Option B, which planned to connect the A2 Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089 at Tilbury in Essex, was scrapped in 2013.

Mr Johnson said despite their opposing views, Mr Holloway was simply doing what he would also do.

“I don’t criticise Adam Holloway at all.

“ He is standing up for his constituents in the same way I want to stand up for the people of Dartford.”

Highways England stated that once complete, the Lower Thames Crossing could add more than £7bn to the economy by increasing investment and business opportunities, and create more than 5,000 new jobs nationally.

Mr Johnson said it was the lack of transportation links that had been holding back the Thames Gateway area from realising its potential.

Although an estimated 30% of traffic currently using the Dartford Crossing was expected to move over to the new crossing once built, the MP added the fight to ease congestion in Dartford would continue.

“There are a whole range of difficulties that Highways England needs to address to ease the existing problems.

“We need a better road layout, particularly in relation to HGVs, and better management of the roundabouts at junctions 1a and 1b (of the M25).

“This is an area where most of the problems are caused, especially along Park Road.

“Highways England has got to improve the current situation. There is no doubt about that.”