Kent County Council has finished resurfacing 3.1 miles of the Thanet Way, smoothing out the worst bumps caused by shifting clay beneath the road, though drivers face eight more nights of closures before the route fully returns to normal.
Drivers on the A299 will notice the difference. Kent County Council finished a major resurfacing programme on 21 July 2026, laying roughly 7,000 tonnes of asphalt across 43,000 square metres of carriageway between 2 June and 21 July. The works targeted the worst of the undulations that had built up over years — clay soil beneath the road expanding and contracting with the seasons, gradually wrecking the surface above it.
But it’s not over yet. Motorists face overnight closures on sections of the Thanet Way for eight nights between 27 July and 6 August 2026, while KCC carries out a separate package of maintenance work. A temporary 50mph speed limit also remains in place on parts of the route.
Don’t expect a permanent fix, either. Peter Osborne, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, has been straightforward about it: the clay subsoil isn’t going anywhere, it’ll keep moving, and new defects will form in time. A full structural solution would mean major reconstruction costing many millions of pounds — money KCC says it can’t find alone and would need significant government support to deliver. Until that happens, the council will keep patching the worst sections as they deteriorate.
The scheme made extensive use of recycled asphalt in both the structural base layer and the new surface. Engineers also had to adapt their methods during a spell of exceptionally hot weather to keep the quality of the finished road up to scratch.
KCC has bundled several jobs into those eight nights to avoid closing the road repeatedly. Work includes street lighting maintenance, verge and vegetation management, gully cleansing, minor repairs, routine safety inspections, and litter picking by the district council.
Key information
- Overnight closures: 27 July to 6 August 2026, eight nights excluding the weekend
- Tasks during closures: lighting, verge work, drainage, minor repairs, inspections, litter picking
- Speed limit: temporary 50mph in place; national speed limit to return once sections are ready
- Travel advice: follow signed diversion routes and check the latest travel information before setting out
A299 Thanet Way resurfacing complete as overnight closures continue Quiz
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