A21 road (England): Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A21 UK Roads Portal (WIKI) – A21] |
* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A21 UK Roads Portal (WIKI) – A21] |
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* [http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/21-25-26.shtml CBRD M25 J5] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071002150949/http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/21-25-26.shtml CBRD M25 J5] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151019095749/http://www.road-to-nowhere.co.uk/route-guides/A21/index.html Road to Nowhere: A21] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151019095749/http://www.road-to-nowhere.co.uk/route-guides/A21/index.html Road to Nowhere: A21] |
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Revision as of 14:17, 29 November 2017
For other roads with the same name see List of A21 roads.
A21 | ||
---|---|---|
A2212 | ||
Southeast end | Hastings50°51′40″N 0°33′30″E / 50.8611°N 0.5582°E | |
Location | ||
Country | Primary destinations Bromley | Sevenoaks Royal Tunbridge Wells |
Road network | ||
The A21 is a trunk road in Southern England, one of several which connect London and various commuter towns to the south coast. It provides a link to Hastings, East Sussex and parts of Kent. Half of the distance covered is over gently undulating terrain, with some hills and bends. Often traffic is slow-moving, particularly on weekdays on the single carriageway stretches; and in summer with holiday traffic.[1][2][3][4][5] Because of this, people have described the A21 as "a joke" and businesspeople have been reported to "hate coming down the A21".[1] There have been many proposals to upgrade parts of the A21 in response to this.
Parts of the A21 follow the historic turnpike roads: for example the section from Sevenoaks to Tunbridge Wells, opened in 1710;[6] other sections of the road were similarly dealt with later in the century. It is also the location of the first wildlife overbridge in the United Kingdom, near Lamberhurst. The road between the
The A21 is used for the 55 miles (89 km)
The route
The A21 begins in
History
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2012) |
Parts of the A21 follow the turnpike roads: one being the section from Sevenoaks to Tunbridge Wells, opened in 1710;[6] other sections of the road were similarly dealt with later in the century.
South of
.Sections of the A21 were upgraded to a dual carriageway standard in stages in the 20th century. The Sevenoaks Bypass opened in 1966, followed by the Tonbridge bypass and associated Medway Valley viaduct in July 1971.[8] The Pembury bypass opened in 1988,[9] followed by the Robertsbridge bypass in 1989.
The Lamberhurst Bypass was opened on 23 March 2005 to a cost of £18 million. The A21 used to have steep inclines into the village and the valley of the
Between 1988 and 2017, the Tonbridge bypass and the Pembury bypass were separated by a 1.7 miles (2.7 km) section of 7.3m wide single carriageway with no footways or verges. Severe congestion was frequent
The route in detail
London
The A21 starts in
Up Masons Hill the road reaches Bromley Common, the first large-scale open space negotiated; briefly, just before Farnborough, the road becomes Hastings Road. The original A21 went though the suburb, the High Street is now the B2158. Until now the road has been in a south-easterly direction, but after Green Street Green it turns eastwards towards the valley of the River Darent, and it is at this point that the road pattern makes a complete change from its original route.
The A21 originally entered Kent here and climbed to the scarp of the North Downs at Polhill, and then descended through Dunton Green and up the valley of the River Darent to Sevenoaks; through the town centre and then down into the Medway valley via Hildenborough to Tonbridge. The London Road at the north of the town is now the B245; it continued through the long High Street, over the many bridges of the river (during which time it was also part of the A26 from Maidstone ). As the road began to climb out of the valley it took a left fork; shortly after this the route of the modern A21 is rejoined.
Knockholt to Castle Hill
Where the new A21 begins, and also where the
This section of the road is a grade separated dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction (aside from a three lane section northbound climbing Hubbards Hill). The road passes to the west of the town, running through a nearby valley until it meets the
Around this point, the road enters the
Castle Hill to Lamberhurst
After the end of the Tonbridge bypass, the A21 climbs Castle Hill before becoming the Pembury Bypass at Longfield road junction, a grade-separated Roundabout interchange. The next junction is with the
. The road later meets the original alignment at an at-grade junction (leaving a brief gap in the central reservation) not long before it meets a double roundabout at Kippings Cross where another section of single carriageway starts. The next section of A21 is a major bottleneck, being a single carriageway with frequent bends. In October 2005 the "Preferred Route" to upgrade this 3 miles (4.8 km) section was announced.[21] However, the scheme has since been suspended.[22]Lamberhurst to John's Cross
After a junction with the
The next section of road is a single carriageway which travels past Bewl Water and Kilndown until it once again becomes a dual carriageway for 1.2 miles (1.9 km). This, however has recently been reduced to one lane in each direction to reduce speeding. As the dual Carriageway ends, the road enters
Mountfield to Hastings
After Johns Cross roundabout, the A21 takes a relatively straight, though undulating, journey, through
Safety
In 2002, it was reported that a 22-kilometre (14 mi) section of the A21 south of Flimwell was the most dangerous road in the south east outside London, and the 38th most dangerous in the country,[23] however it has since been overtaken by the A259 between Pevensey and Bexhill-on-Sea.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]
Proposed improvements
Large portions of the A21, through Kent mostly, are dual carriageway with intervening stretches of single carriageway. There have long been plans are to upgrade some of the remaining stretches of single carriageway to alleviate congestion, safety and accessibility problems in the villages along the route.[1][3][31]
Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst
When the Pembury bypass ends at Kippings Cross, the next section of A21 is a low quality single carriageway road with several steep gradients across the Weald. There are few major centres of habitation on the road and limited or no footpaths. There are many houses next to the route and the road has very frequent bends. The Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst section has a high accident rate and congestion occurs particularly at peak times.[32]
It is proposed that this section should be turned into a two-lane dual carriageway with footpaths and is proposed to be completely off-line, although mainly following the existing route, and have improvements to the
This scheme has since been suspended following the 2010 spending review.[22]
Flimwell to Robertsbridge
Plans have been published for a new road between the southern end of the Flimwell bypass and the beginning of the Robertsbridge bypass. The 5.5-mile (8.9 km) improvement will bypass the villages of Flimwell, Hurst Green and Silver Hill.[35] The improvement will commence at the B2079 junction (Lady Oak Lane) on the short section of existing dual carriageway north of Flimwell and terminate at the roundabout at the northern end of the Robertsbridge Bypass. Although part of the road will be brought up to a dual carriageway standard, parts will become a 'wide single carriageway'.[36][37] This scheme has been postponed until 2015 at the earliest and currently route protection is being lifted.[citation needed]
Baldslow Interchange
When the
Other improvements
Schemes to upgrade the following sections have also been proposed:[40]
Lamberhurst to Flimwell
Robertsbridge to Baldslow
Junctions
A21 Road[41] | ||
Southbound exits | Junction | Northbound exits |
Start of Dual Carriageway | End of Dual Carriageway | |
Local Road Start/End of Road | ||
A224
|
A224
| |
Kent | ||
(Anticlockwise) | (Anticlockwise) | |
Gatwick Airport (M23) Basingstoke (M3) Heathrow Airport (M4) Reigate M25 (Clockwise) |
Gatwick Airport (M23) Basingstoke (M3) Heathrow Airport (M4) Reigate M25 (Clockwise) | |
"No exit to or (westbound) access from M26" | ||
Brasted Westerham Oxted A25 Riverhead Sevenoaks Borough Green Maidstone A25 |
Brasted Westerham Oxted A25 Riverhead Sevenoaks Borough Green Maidstone A25 | |
Tun. Wells A26
|
Southborough Tun. Wells, A26 | |
A2014 A26 |
Tonbridge A2014' A26 | |
Local Access | N/A | |
Pembury Hospital Ind Est.
|
Southborough Tunbridge Wells (North) North Farm Ind Est. | |
Tunbridge Wells East Grinstead Crawley A264 Paddock Wood A228 | ||
Pembury | Pembury (via gap in central reservation) | |
Frant Kippings Cross B2160 |
Frant Kippings Cross B2160 | |
Tunbridge Wells Services | ||
Brenchley | N/A | |
Hook Green | Hook Green | |
A262 Lamberhurst Horsmonden B2162 |
Goudhurst Maidstone (A229) A262 Lamberhurst Horsmonden B2162 | |
Hook Green B2169 Frant (B2100) |
Hook Green B2169 Frant (B2100) | |
Bewl Water | Bewl Water | |
Kilndown | Kilndown | |
Bedgebury | Bedgebury (via gap in central reserve) | |
East Sussex | ||
A268
|
A268
| |
Ticehurst Wadhurst B2099 |
Ticehurst Wadhurst B2099 | |
Maidstone A229 | Maidstone A229 | |
A265
|
Heathfield Uckfield A265 | |
Bodiam Staplecross |
Bodiam Staplecross | |
Salehurst Leehurst |
Salehurst Leehust | |
Robertsbridge | Robertsbridge | |
Mountfield Battle A2100 Bexhill Hailsham (A271) |
Mountfield Battle Bexhill A2100 | |
Cripps Corner Staple Cross Rye B2089 |
Cripps Corner B2089 | |
Whatlington Battle |
Whatlington Battle | |
Rotherfords Ind Est Battle |
Rotherfords Ind Est Battle | |
Sedlescombe | Sedlescombe | |
Bulverhythe Battle A2100 Ore A2100 Ashford Margate A28 |
Bulerhythe A2100 Ore A2100 Ashford Margate Ramsgate A28 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Access to Hastings – Consultation Report – Appendices" (PDF). Hastings Online. September 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ a b "BBC NEWS | England | Police seek safe May Day bike run". London: BBC News. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ a b "Funding recommended for A21 plans". London: BBC News. 7 October 2005. p. 1. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ "Highways Agency – A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling". Highways.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ "BBC article on improvements". BBC News. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Note on turnpike: Sussex Industrial Archaeological Study Group". Chiddingly.gov.uk. 1 April 1968. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ Horam, John (12 January 1977). "A21 (Improvements)". Hansard. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ "The bypass that would change a town for ever". Kent and Sussex Courier. Local World. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Bottomley, Peter (22 April 1988). "A21 (Pembury Bypass)". Hansard. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ Moss, Richard (13 April 2006). "Animal Bridge Lets Our Furry Friends Visit National Trust Property". Culture24. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ "Lamberhurst Bypass Information". Highways.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Bypass Opening – Highways Agency" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "A21 (West Kent) – HC Deb, 1 March 2005, c239WH". Theyworkforyou.com. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ "Friday 16 May 2008". Kent County Council. 16 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ "Delay in road widening criticised". London: BBC News. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
- ^ "Highways Agency – A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling". Highways.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Green light for £92m funds for A21 widening". Rye & Battle Observer. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ^ "Start of Works Exhibition" (pdf). Highways Agency. October 2014. p. 7. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ http://roads.highways.gov.uk/projects/a21-tonbridge-to-pembury-dualling/
- ^ "Major A21 upgrade complete - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ "A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Improvement". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 2 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Cancelled Schemes". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ "ROADS NAMED AND SHAMED IN REPORT". Hastings Observer. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 19 February 2002. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
- ^ "Highest risk road sections in each UK Government Office Region (2004–2006)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ The most dangerous road in Sussex is named[permanent dead link]
- ^ Daily Mail Reporter (30 June 2008). "Revealed: Britain's most dangerous road | Mail Online". The Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ "Britain's most dangerous roads by region – Autotrader UK". Autotrader.co.uk. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Britain's Most Dangerous Roads". Itv.com. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Two die and two seriously injured in crash (From The Argus)". Theargus.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ "Britain's most dangerous road revealed". 24dash.com. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "A21 South Pembury to Hastings Route Improvements – Highways Agency". Highways.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Highways Agency. Archived from the originalon 2 August 2010.
- ^ "Economy: Economic Efficiency of the Transport System (TEE)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ SE fact sheet scheme for Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst scheme
- ^ "Bypasses for A21 villages unveiled". BBC News. 17 February 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Hastings Online – Meeting Report – CABINET (03-02-03) – A 21 Improvement Proposals". Hastings Online. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Preferred Route Announcement". Highways Agency. February 2005. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Baldslow-Queensway Link Road Options" (PDF). Uk-roads.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "A21 Baldslow Junction Improvements" (PDF). South East England Regional Transport Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "A21 Improvements move a step closer". Highways Agency. 22 February 2005. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012.
- ^ Lawley, Nicholas. "Route Guides – A21". Road to Nowhere. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
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External links