Construction of Kent’s first zero-emission bus service route is set to get underway after the award of the construction contract to Colas UK Projects.
Dover Fastrack, which will connect Whitfield with Dover town centre and railway station, begins development this month and is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
The rapid bus transit system will include a new bus, cycle and pedestrian-only bridge across the A2 at Whitfield, as well as a new link road from the B&Q roundabout in Whitfield to Dover Road, Guston.
Kent County Council awarded the contract to Colas this month after it received funding for a new electric bus fleet from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.
The scheme follows a seven-week electric bus and charging trial carried out by the council in partnership with Volvo in 2018, to test how the technology would work in the county.
The county council is managing Dover Fastrack on behalf of Dover District Council, with the two authorities working together to meet a shared carbon neutral target of 2050.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “We’re excited that Dover will boast Kent’s first zero-emission bus service, demonstrating our commitment to improving public transport options so that local people have real alternatives to car journeys.
“Dover Fastrack represents the biggest investment in public transport in Dover for many years and is key to the delivery of new housing at Whitfield and the former Connaught Barracks site, and our ambitions to cut carbon emissions.”
