Kent County Council given £4M for Thanet Way road damaged by hot weather

The prolonged hot weather is thought to be the cause of damage to one of the main routes in and out of Faversham, Herne Bay, Whitstable and Thanet. 

Emergency repairs are needed on the A299 Thanet Way and will begin later this week.

On Monday (8 Aug), the road was down to one lane of traffic and the tailbacks could be seen from afar.

The County Council said the recent heat in the South East has caused the clay under the road to expand and shrink underneath the road.

It is likely to cause disruption to drivers heading to the coast, including visitors to the Folk Week festival at Broadstairs, which attracts thousands of tourists.

Jo Tuffs, Broadstairs Folk Festival Director said: "The biggest impact is going to be actually getting our acts and musicians, who are coming down from Scotland, Ireland, from the West Country, all over - making sure they can actually get to their sound checks on time and get on the stage.

"I think from the point of view of the people who are actually coming to Broadstairs as an audience, I'm hoping the fact that at the end of the road are seven lovely beaches and very hot weather, that they are going to persevere, even if there is obstructions in their way."

Jo Tuffs, Broadstairs Folk Festival Director said the biggest impact will be getting musicians to their sound checks on time.

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson said: “We are aware of issues impacting upon part of the Thanet Way road surface.

“There is no sinkhole or voids in the road. Instead, this issue has been caused by the expansion and shrinkage of clay, which makes up the underlying soil in this area.

“A lane closure has been put in place to protect road users on this stretch until overnight resurfacing works can be completed later this week.

“Going forward, the Department for Transport has given KCC £4 million to work on sections of this road to reduce risk of this happening in the future.”