M.A.G.I.C.

with WILLAct

Phases & Costs



APPROXIMATE COSTINGS FOR THE PHASES OF A COMPLETE MAIDSTONE SOUTHERN LINK ROAD

The cost of a local road bypassing Leeds village would have to be borne by local residents through massive council tax rises……….however, a larger project has sparked the interest of government bodies which would include Highways England and therefore would be looked at through funding and financing on a National level.

Average cost per mile = £32 million (this figure includes contingencies)

2.20 miles phase 1,             D2 from M20 to A274 = £70.4 M (The Southern Relief Road)

3.45 miles phase 2,             D2 from A274 to A229 = £110.4 M

3.48 miles phase 3,             D2 from A229 to A26 = £111.36 M

2.7 miles phase 4,                D2 from A26 to A228 = £86.4 M

0.49 miles phase 4a,          Flyover Bridge over M20 and single 2 lane carriageway southbound to A228 = £15.68 M (Flyover estimated at £160 M)

0.62 miles phase 4b,          Extra single lane carriageway along north-side of A228 to northbound M20 = £19.84 M

*Single lanes costed @ £32 M/pm to build contingencies

TOTAL OF 12.94 MILES

Total Cost estimated = £574.08 million

PRIVATE INVESTORS WOULD SEE A SUB £100 MILLION PROJECT AS NOT ENTICING ENOUGH BUT WOULD BE QUEUING UP TO INVEST IN A COMPLETE SOUTHERN LINK ROAD WITH REALISTIC RETURNS

When taken in context, the total costs of a complete Maidstone Southern Link, measured against the cost of other major infrastructure projects in the country, are small in comparison….but the raft of benefits vs costs that a complete Road would provide for the whole of Kent far outweigh, in my opinion, any other recent or proposed major infrastructure project: (see below for comparison).

  • The projected cost of HS2 according to The Institute of Economic Affairs estimates that the final cost will be over £105 billion and has benefits of saving travelers just minutes on a journey from London to Birmingham and beyond. The benefits are supposed to soften the the fact of hundreds of acres of greenfield ploughed through.

  • Lower Thames crossing estimated at £6 billion +, has many benefits for the region as a whole.

  • Lincoln Eastern bypass, (when the city already had a western bypass (A46)) at a cost of £99 million of which £50 million was provided by the Government.

  • £200 million for a proposed Ipswich northern bypass.

  • £100 million for a dual carriageway bypass from Skippool to Windy Harbour along the A585 (please search Google Maps for this particular one) as part of the Government’s £15 billion Road Investment Strategy (RIS).

M.A.G.I.C. was founded by Cllr Paul Wooding to reinvigorate the stagnating debate regarding all of Maidstone’s road infrastructure condition and state.