PLANS to improve key stretches of the A21 trunk road between Tonbridge and Hastings have been unveiled by Transport Minister John Spellar.

The aim is to create a continuous dual carriageway from the M25 to the south of Lamberhurst, and to upgrade the road between Flimwell and Robertsbridge in East Sussex.

Over the next few weeks people are being invited to view proposals and to comment on them. The overall cost of improvements is expected to be more than £100 million.

A vital feature is provision of the "missing link" between the Tonbridge and Pembury by-passes, eliminating the notorious Castle Hill bottleneck with a new stretch of dual carriageway.

Unlike a six-lane "off-line" route proposed in the early 1990s, the latest scheme follows the present line of the A21, running close to the Iron Age hill fort which gives the section its local name.

The loss of two lanes from the earlier proposals reflects a revised estimate of traffic growth, now expected to be lower, and use of the existing route is a bid to minimise environmental harm.

To relieve congestion at the Longfield Road roundabout, Tunbridge Wells, marking the southern end of the section, a new flyover is proposed.

If the £30 million scheme is accepted, four homes will be compulsorily purchased and demolished. A public inquiry is likely before final approval for the project is given.