LOCATE in Kent has welcomed news that extra lanes are to be added to the M25 and the A2 near Dartford following the award of a £138million Highways Agency contract.

The inward investment agency said new lanes between Junctions 1b and 3 of M25, and the A2 between Bean and the M25, is significant in helping to realise the economic opportunities presented by Kent Thameside.

Paul Wookey, chief executive of Locate in Kent, said: "Continued investment in our road network and improving domestic and international rail services are important in transforming the perception of North Kent as a business location.

"These improvements will improve accessibility - to London and the north and the continent, and will be a significant factor in our ability to persuade companies to relocate or expand in the Kent part of the Thames Gateway. They will also reduce travel times across the whole of north Kent."

The contract will involve the widening of the M25 between junctions 1b and 3, south of the Dartford Crossing, from three to four lanes, for a total distance of four miles.

The £66million project is the first of the proposed schemes to widen the remaining three lane sections of the M25 to get the go-ahead. The widening will take place within the highway boundary, which means no extra land need be purchased for the widening.

The A2/A282 Dartford Improvement will see the A2 widened from three to four lanes between Bean and its junction with the M25/A282, a total distance of 1.5 miles. The £72million scheme includes link roads from the M25/A282 in the north and to the A2 in the east.