Widening one of the busiest roads in the county could start next spring, Kent’s highways chief has revealed.

It follows years of campaigning by local councillors to make the A228 at Kent Street, near Mereworth, safer for motorists, residents and other road users.

The scheme would see traffic lights installed 100m from each side of the Kent Street junction, widening two corners of the road where it crosses the busy single-track A228 and creating two bus stops.

Conservative Kent County Council cabinet member for highways, Cllr Neil Baker, said discussions with a landowner are ongoing but he could not put a definite timescale or a cost on the work.

He added: “I wouldn't like to put a timescale on these things because I don’t want to over-promise but, subject to positive discussions with the landowner who we need to get some land off to widen the road, we hope it will be happening in the spring of next year.

“I think it’s always difficult when you have third party landowners that you have to deal with. It’s not as though we are using compulsory purchase tactics because that would be a sledgehammer to crack a nut in this case.

“This is something we have been working with the local divisional member to try and deliver and that is what we are trying to reach a positive conclusion on.”

Tory Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council members, Cllrs Sarah Hudson and Matt Boughton, have been calling for the changes for a number of years.

Cllr Hudson, who is also the county councillor, said: “A teenage girl was injured when she was trying to cross the road after school about three years ago.

“This happened just after I was elected in 2021 and prompted me to discuss the changes we hope to get started shortly.

“The A228 at this point is very narrow and local people find it difficult and dangerous to try and get onto it from Kent Street.”

The councillors say the changes will improve visibility and the bus stops which naturally slow vehicles down.

Cllr Hudson added: “I have been working with (KCC) Kent Highways, Mereworth Parish Council and residents to develop this scheme which would help everyone and secure safer access.”

The work would be funded by developer contributions from housing at Kings Hill but delays in getting the scheme going may push the cost above the £800,000 set aside.

The eastern side of Kent Street is a cul-de-sac while the western section leads to Mereworth.

Cllr Matt Boughton, who is leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said the A228 is dangerous and measures need to be brought in sooner rather than later.

Standing with Cllr Hudson as lorry after lorry thundered past, Cllr Boughton added: “There are other plans at the top and bottom ends of this section of the A228 but they can wait as this part is more pressing.

“KCC seems to have been dragging its heels over this.

“We’re hoping to get some realistic prices back but we know that the cost of the work will have increased significantly which only adds to the sense of frustration.

“It seems that this is a project that is the ‘next thing to do’ that they never get around to doing but it has to be done.”

Kent Street resident Graham George, a 64-year-old lorry driver, said: “Before the speed limit was reduced to 40mph, there were crashes pretty regularly with people hurtling around the corner.

“It’s a really busy road and really hard to get out of Kent Street, depending on what time of the day it is.”