East end: Ramsgate Length 35.4 km | Primary
destinations: Margate, Ramsgate | |
 | ||
West end: Brenley Corner (Near Faversham) | ||
The A299, better known as the Thanet Way, is a major road in the county of Kent, England, and runs from Brenley Corner near Faversham (where it merges into the M2) to Ramsgate via Whitstable and Herne Bay. It is predominantly used for freight traffic to Ramsgate Harbour and local traffic to Thanet, and is 22 miles (35 km) long. It also provides access to Manston Airport.
Contents
Map of A299, Whitstable CT5, UK
History
The A299 was originally allocated to the original road from Faversham to Herne Bay, via Graveney, Seasalter and Whitstable. Most of the modern route was constructed in the early 1930s as an unemployment relief project. Prior to this, all traffic from the west to the Isle of Thanet had to go via Canterbury.
The A299 was upgraded between 1989 and 1997 to dual carriageway for almost its entire length. Whitstable and Herne Bay were bypassed, with the old road becoming the A2990, and the A299 to the west of Whitstable and east of Herne Bay received an online upgrade.
The original Thanet Way project, and hence the A299, used to end near Monkton, where the A253 once continued to Ramsgate. This section of road has been renumbered as an extension of the A299 to Ramsgate Harbour.
The section from Minster roundabout to the Lord of the Manor roundabout was diverted on to a new dual carriageway during 2009-12, constructed as part of East Kent access phase 2 to provide better access to Manston Airport and the Pfizer complex at Sandwich. It was opened by Norman Baker on 23 May 2012.