---
title: "Kent County Council: Grovehurst A249 Junction Improvement"
url: "https://www.systra.com/ireland/project/kent-county-council-grovehurst-a249-junction-improvement/"
type: projects
date_published: 2025-10-16
date_modified: 2026-03-23
schema:
  @type: WebPage
language: en-IE
word_count: 1645
reading_time: 9 min
canonical: "https://www.systra.com/ireland/project/kent-county-council-grovehurst-a249-junction-improvement/"
featured_image: "https://www.systra.com/ireland/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/10/grovehurst-junction_2026-header.jpg"
type-market:
  - "Highways & Roads"
project-market:
  - "Highways & Roads"
project-location:
  - England
---

# Kent County Council: Grovehurst A249 Junction Improvement

![Kent County Council: Grovehurst A249 Junction Improvement](https://www.systra.com/ireland/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/10/grovehurst-junction_2026-header.jpg)

### Planned developments require improved road infrastructure

Kent County Council secured government funding from the Housing Infrastructure
Fund (HIF) to improve the Grovehurst junction on the A249 near Sittingbourne.
This interchange with junction 5 of the M2 was identified as a key junction
likely to experience future capacity problems as a result of significant planned
housing and commercial developments in the area over the next 20 years.

Kent County Council needed to complete this infrastructure upgrade within the
timescale set by the HIF agreement. The upgraded junction needed to accommodate
significant increases in traffic, while improving safety. It also needed to
provide new walking and cycling routes to link with the new housing developments
and existing networks.

The council wanted to ensure the new junction introduced sustainable benefits
and supported economic growth in the area. The site posed particular challenges
associated with safeguarding local ecology, which included populations of great
crested newts, badgers, water vole and common reptiles such as slow worms and
common lizards.

The project was further complicated by ownership of the affected roads being
split between Kent County Council and National Highways. That meant elements
such as lighting, signage and drainage had to meet the requirements and
standards of each authority.

Having worked with SYSTRA on previous transport development schemes, Kent County
Council appointed the company to carry out feasibility studies, public
consultations, outline and detailed design work, and provide construction
support for the Grovehurst junction scheme. SYSTRA took on the consultancy roles
of engineering design, environmental and transport planning, as well as being
Principal Designer.

### Multi-disciplinary teams devise optimum design for complex road junction

SYSTRA began by carrying out feasibility studies and exploring options to reduce
the need for traffic to pass through the centre of Sittingbourne on the A2
–helping to reduce pressure on the A429 Grovehurst junction. This would unlock
the potential for commercial developments to proceed and enable the delivery of
more than 4,500 homes by 2034/35. We then developed design options to optimise
the junction for predicted traffic flows, considering various alternatives to
minimise the impacts on existing traffic movements.

We developed three design options, including a dumbbell roundabout, two
signalised junctions and a gyratory – all to be designed in accordance with
Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and Kent County Council design
standards . The gyratory flyover was chosen as the preferred option. It involved
constructing a new bridge to the east of the existing bridge over the M2, new
slip roads, pedestrian and cycle facilities, traffic signals, additional lanes,
drainage systems and attenuation lagoons, as well as access and maintenance
tracks and bays.

We successfully prepared and delivered the outline design within the agreed
timeframe and budget, securing the buy-in of key stakeholders through extensive
consultation. Following the positive outcome of outline design, Kent County
Council commissioned SYSTRA to deliver the detailed design and construction
phase support.

As Principal Designer, we produced detailed designs for all elements of the
junction, including the highways, new single-span bridge and geotechnical
elements, including bridge abutment foundations and wing walls, plus earthworks
and associated drainage. In addition, we developed landscape designs to address
ecological and environmental considerations, including the need to deliver
biodiversity net gain across the site.

Our detailed designs were informed by extensive surveys and investigation work,
carried out by multidisciplinary teams at SYSTRA. This work included ground
investigations, archaeological investigations and traffic surveys. We conducted
extensive consultations with the public and multiple stakeholders as part of the
planning application process. Ecological surveys assessed the presence of
protected species, and informed proposed habitat enhancements and species
translocations. When we received notification from adjacent developers that
water voles were present, our ecology team engaged landowners, the council and a
nearby country park to identify suitable receptor sites. This negated the need
to create on-site receptor areas, which would have delayed the construction
works.

We provided support to the project’s construction contractor, Jackson Civil
Engineering, to ensure detailed designs were accurately translated into the
final scheme and to ensure complex conditions set out in the planning permission
were met. The HIF funding provided to Kent County Council had to be used within
a set deadline, and our construction support focused on delivering the project
within this timescale.

![](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/07/grovehurst-before.jpg)

_Grovehurst junction before_

![Grovehurst Interchange_2026 design](https://www.systra.com/ireland/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/10/grovehurst-interchange_2026-design.jpg)

_New Grovehurst junction design_

### Combining environmental, transport, engineering and design expertise

For this major transport and environmental consultancy and design project,
SYSTRA put together a project team comprising specialists in highways,
structures,
[geotechnical](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/infrastructure-engineering/geotechnical-design-ground-engineering/)
, ecology, environment, drainage, planning, and contract management.

During the outline and detailed design stages, we reviewed the key performance
indicators (KPIs) of Kent County Council and National Highways, to ensure our
proposed designs would meet these requirements and industry standards. To
improve safety and streamline traffic flows, we reviewed previous accidents and
traffic data to ensure the new network would work within capacity while limiting
accidents. To meet targets for economic growth, our designs aimed to reduce
congestion and delays and make the area more accessible and attractive to all
users and future residents.

Improving environmental outcomes was a key focus for the project. While the
legislation requiring Biodiversity Net Gain of 10% had not come into effect
during the planning stage of the project, SYSTRA applied the necessary
principles to achieve this target through landscape design. For this site, we
calculated a net gain of 24% for habitats and 10% for hedgerows. Our rigorous
[environmental assessments](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/environmental-services/environmental-impact-assessments/)
included arboricultural, ornithological, reptile and water vole surveys,
air-quality and noise assessments, contaminated land studies, and the production
of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). We developed
environmental procedures to protect existing ecosystems and species, including
obtaining necessary licences for great crested newts and water voles. Given the
proximity to river courses, we also developed flood risk mitigations to minimise
any potential disruption caused by flooding.

To help cyclists, walkers, and other vulnerable road users, we carried out a
thorough
[Walking, Cycling](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/development-infrastructure/walking-and-cycling/)
and Horse-riding Assessment and Review (WCHAR), which led to improvements in
footpaths and new toucan crossings. The design incorporated many features for
pedestrians and cyclists, helping to improve well-being by promoting active
travel. The upgraded infrastructure also aimed to support local businesses by
making the area more accessible and attractive to customers, while reducing
congestion.

SYSTRA adopted a collaborative approach with key stakeholders, including
National Highways, parish councils and local businesses. We held
[meetings and consultations](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/research-consultation-evaluation/public-consultation-engagement/)
to gather valuable feedback and provide updates on the project. The timing of
the planning and design phase coincided with Covid-19 lockdown periods, which
could have caused costly delays. However, we kept the process on schedule by
developing an online virtual exhibition hall, which provided an engaging and
effective platform for online consultations. This innovation ensured that
dialogue was maintained with the public and stakeholders throughout the scheme.

Our efforts to build close relationships and adopt a collaborative approach with
the client and all stakeholders enabled challenges to be addressed promptly and
contributed significantly to the successful delivery of the project.

### Enhanced road interchange delivers safety, economic and environmental benefits

The project was a great example of multidisciplinary teams from SYSTRA working
together to address challenges, find solutions and fulfil client objectives at
every stage of the scheme.
The construction of the new gyratory at Grovehurst junction will enable housing,
commercial and industrial developments to progress in line with the local plan,
while alleviating congestion, improving cycling and walking opportunities, and
enhancing safety for all road users. In addition, the scheme helps to safeguard
local ecology and improve biodiversity.The project achieved its ultimate aim of
delivering infrastructure improvements to enhance residents’ quality of life,
promote economic development, and create a more efficient and sustainable
transport network on this major trunk road.By deploying advanced design tools,
innovative consultation methods and comprehensive environmental assessments,
SYSTRA played a pivotal role in delivering this essential infrastructure to meet
current needs while enabling planned future growth.

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