Representatives from Dover District Council (DDC), Kent County Council (KCC), and Homes England joined by principal contractors, Colas UK Projects Ltd to break ground on the £22.9m public transport investment
A ceremony has been held to formally mark the start of construction of Dover Fastrack, Kent’s first zero-emission bus route.
The service, which is backed by government from the Housing Infrastructure Fund and the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme will see a fleet of electric buses operating on Dover Fastrack linking up to 5,000 new homes in Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory railway station and its High-Speed train links with London.
The rapid bus transit link also incorporates stops at Dover Castle and the former Connaught Barracks site, where Homes England has planning permission for up to 300 new homes.
Construction of Dover Fastrack is expected to take around 18 months and includes a new bus, cycle and pedestrian-only bridge across the A2 at Whitfield, and a new link road from the B&Q roundabout in Whitfield to Dover Road at Guston.
With the project’s strong focus on carbon reduction, more than 10,000 new trees, shrubs, and hedgerows will be planted to provide enhanced wildlife habitat in the area.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “Dover Fastrack sets the standard for sustainable public transport, so I’m delighted to join with our partners to break ground on this exciting project.
“The Whitfield Urban Expansion is our largest single housing allocation and alongside the redevelopment of the former Connaught Barracks site, delivers a range of new homes to the district at a time when many families are realising the advantages and affordability of coastal locations that also have excellent links with London.”