A pavement previously branded “extremely dangerous” near a bridge is set to have its footway widened in a bid to make it safer.

Residents say they are “surprised no one has been killed yet” at the spot near Blacksole Bridge, in Beltinge near Herne Bay, where pedestrians are forced to cross near a blind bend.

Locals have long called for action, with ward councillors Ian and Jeanette Stockley suggesting a 20mph a limit should be imposed back in 2019.

Now, work is set to get underway to widen the footpath, allowing residents to avoid the bend near the Talmead Estate and cross the road further away.

The crossing will also be marked as such, and signs will be installed on the road warning motorists that pedestrians may be crossing around the corner.

County councillor for Herne Bay, Dan Watkins (Con), has been lobbying for changes on the road since last year.

“We put it forward in the summer,” he said.

“It’s taken a while, there’s been a few pitfalls. There always are with land and construction projects.”

A strip of land on which the pavement sits was previously owned by Kitewood which is building the nearby Blacksole Farm development, leading to delays in KCC’s attempts to carry out works.

However, the developers have now transferred the strip of land to Kent County Council (KCC) for free, allowing the authority to proceed with the alterations.

Cllr Watkins went on: “Lots of residents write to me over the years. The junior school in Herne Bay wrote to me and said a lot of parents have expressed concerns.

“It is dangerous, and it is a risk, because they literally only have a few metres of visibility.”

“People have emailed me to say they’ve had a near-miss or they’ve seen people have a near-miss. I’m not aware of any accidents.

“But even if someone hasn’t been hit, what it’s doing is stopping people from walking, and people have to drive everywhere which is obviously expensive and bad for the environment.”

Cllr Watkins has used “a few thousand pounds” from his members grant of £10,000 - which councillors can award per year - to help finance the roadworks, which KCC says will cost about £9,000 to complete.

Talmead resident Lynesey Olson, 49, previously raised the issue with Cllr Watkins.

When out on her daily walk during the pandemic, the swim instructor said she “noticed you can’t see round the corner, and it was just dangerous to walk across it”.

“Then as a driver I started to realise every time I went past, there were lots of parents - it’s near a school - walking their kids, that would push the buggies out into the road.

“It’s so dangerous for them.”

“My daughter walks that way to work down into Herne Bay and it terrifies me even at her age – she’s 16 now – that she has to cross that bit of road to get onto the bridge.

“When I’m driving I see people try to cross, so I actually try to make a bit of an effort to actually stop and let them across.

“Even as a driver that’s dangerous, because you know somebody coming round the corner is likely to hit you up the bum.”

She said the plans for a properly marked crossing are “fantastic.”

Lisa Jones, 47, lives on Mickleburgh Avenue and often crosses the bridge while out walking or running.

“I just find it’s quite scary crossing that part of the road, with the way the cars fly around that blind bend,” the NHS administrator said.

“Unless you know the area you wouldn’t know there’s a crossing there. “I think it’s a 30mph zone but obviously cars go a little bit faster than that when they zoom around that corner.

“I’ve seen the kids where they try and run across the road and you just think ‘oh my god, someone’s going to get knocked down one of these days’.

“And then you’ve got buses and lorries trying to get over there as well. It’s a crazy part of the road and it’s extremely dangerous. I’m surprised no one has been killed yet.”

Ms Jones says she feels fearful for her safety “every time I try to cross it”.

“You just don’t know what’s coming round that corner, you just have to think there’s nothing there and try to get across before someone comes,” she said.

“My daughter sometimes has to walk it and I say to her ‘text me soon as you’re across’ because I just worry for her.

“I’m glad something’s being done about it.”

A KCC spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns regarding pedestrian safety near Blacksole Bridge, Beltinge, and are planning to make improvements this year. It is expected work will be completed before the end of summer.”