Two Way Day follows six months’ major road works in one of Kent’s most challenging traffic projects. The Brook and Best Street will change to two-way traffic and the Sir John Hawkins flyover will close except to buses, taxis and cycles. Monday is the first full day for the new system but the changeover will actually happen during the afternoon of the previous day – Sunday, 17th September. “This decision has been made after talks with the police and other organisations. Easing the new system in on the Sunday makes a lot of sense allowing us to iron out any early issues before the Monday morning peak”, said Mark Bradbury, Head of Chatham Development at Medway Council. “A degree of disruption – possibly major disruption – is inevitable until people get used to the new layout. But it’s a little pain for a lot of gain. The two-way system will free up Chatham for the massive investment ahead. It will open up the waterfront and help make Chatham centre a much easier and more enjoyable place to visit and explore.” The details From midnight on Saturday, 16 September much of central Chatham will be closed to traffic other than buses and taxis using a temporary rank in Sir John Hawkins Way car park. During this time the final signals will be installed and commissioned, old road signs will be removed and the last few areas of white-lining painted. The roads will reopen and new road system will come into operation during Sunday afternoon. Anyone who has to drive through Chatham on Sunday before the changeover should use the A2 New Road or the Medway Tunnel. Shops and other businesses that trade on a Sunday will operate as normal. Park-and-Ride buses will operate from car parks at the Civic Centre at Strood and the Compass Centre at Chatham Maritime where Arriva will run a 12 minute shuttle from 9am-5pm on Sunday, dropping off and picking up from Military Road. In addition, there will be a special Sunday park-and-ride service from Horsted (Rochester Airport).
All these services are free. The Pentagon car park, Market Hall and Tesco car park, Whiffens Avenue, Slicketts Hill and Queens Road car parks will all be open with access via Upbury Way and Cross Street and Rope Walk. Station car parks will also remain open through the weekend. Most other car parks within and around the ‘ring road’ will be closed on the Sunday. “There are sure to be some problems on Monday. We’re doing all that we can to minimise them,” said Ian Wilson, Medway Council’s Head of Capital Projects. “There will be officers out at all junctions to help guide people to their destinations. There will also be parking attendants reminding people not to stop or unload on Brook or Best Street as this is now banned. “During the first few days the signal timings will be adjusted to ease the flow through any problem areas.” Motorists and pedestrians will not feel the full benefit of the Chatham road project until next year when proposals for phase-two of the scheme include demolishing the Sir John Hawkins flyover, further road improvements, new car parks and a major new bus station. | 
