Kent County Council and Highways England have agreed a series of initiatives aimed at improving traffic management heading north through the Dartford tunnels.Journey times have improved since the introduction of free flow tolling in late 2014 however significant delays still occur on the northbound side as vehicles head through the tunnels, with over height vehicles and dangerous cargo convoys causing traffic to be held up.In an attempt to minimise the problems, a local newspaper reports that a number of technological solutions are being introduced:
  • New message signs for drivers on local roads providing information about conditions ahead
  • Smarter management of the traffic lights at junctions 1A, 1B and 2 (the Darenth Interchange) to improve traffic flow
  • New vehicle activated signs on the local approaches to junction 1A that will help to alert drivers of oversized vehicles to the height restrictions at the Dartford tunnels
  • New journey time monitoring technology on three key routes approaching the crossing to help better manage traffic flow
News Shopper quotes Kent's traffic manager Andrew Westwood as saying, 'It is vital that we work with Highways England to try and improve the quality of life for Dartford residents.  They have to suffer the constant disruptions and delays resulting from the congestion in the area.'
It says a new data sharing system between Highways England and KCC has been agreed that will allow both organisations to be more responsive to daily traffic at the northbound crossing.M25 route sponsor for Highways England Tommy Whittingham, told them, 'We are working closely with our colleagues at Kent County Council to find ways to improve local traffic flows in the Dartford area.'We want to ensure that all of the local approaches to the northbound carriageways of the Dartford Crossing are working as well as they possibly can.'