The M2 is a

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. It is long and acts as a bypass of the section of the A2 road to run past the

Medway Towns Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to f ...

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...

Faversham Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...

, and to provide an alternative route to the

Port of Dover The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime pa ...

, supplementing the M20. It feeds into the A2, forming a 62 mile long trunk road from London to (almost) Dover.

Route

The M2 starts west of Strood, Kent at Three Crutches, diverging southeastwards from the A2 road that heads ESE from Central London, one of five roads of dual carriageway width or greater reaching into the southern half of Greater London. From Junction 1 it has four lanes each way that slope into the

Medway Valley The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a total distance of . ...

south of

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

. On the west bank of the

River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a total distance ...

is Junction 2 intersecting the A228 between Strood and

West Malling West Malling ( , historically Town Malling) is a market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of 2,590. Landmarks West Malling contains several historic buildings, including St Leonard's Tower, a N ...

, a junction where the master exit roundabout passes under the

HS1 High Speed 1 (HS1), legally the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is a high-speed railway linking London with the Channel Tunnel. It is part of a line carrying international passenger traffic between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe; ...

track and which retains, by footbridge and tunnel, the

North Downs Way The North Downs Way National Trail is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beaut ...

(a public footpath). By this point the road is mounted on the

Medway Viaduct The Medway Viaducts are three bridges or viaducts that cross the River Medway between Cuxton and Borstal in north Kent, England. The two road bridges carry the M2 motorway carriageways. The other viaduct carries the High Speed 1 railway li ...

, passing over the

railway and the river. On the east (right)

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

are Wouldham marshes, south, and north are the elevated suburbs of the three conjoined

including

Borstal A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school. Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...

, a village nationally synonymous with its prototype 1902-founded Young Offenders' Institution. The M2 ascends a steep stream valley to

Blue Bell Hill Blue Bell Hill is a chalk hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. It overlooks the River Medway and is part of the North Downs. Settlements on the hill include the Walderslade suburb of Chatham and the villages of ...

(under which HS1 runs in a tunnel) using split-levels to reach Junction 3 (for Medway Towns &

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...

) by Walderslade. It takes the north of the

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''esca ...

of the

North Downs The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills ...

becoming a conventional three lanes, and runs northeast across Cossington Fields, Westfield Sole, Lidsing, and

Bredhurst Bredhurst is a village and civil parish in Kent, that forms part of the Borough of Maidstone. Its population was 330 (1990), increasing to 397 at the 2011 Census. There has been a settlement on the site of the present day Bredhurst since neolit ...

towards Junction 4 where the road becomes two lanes to Junction 7. Continuing east, passing Medway Service area, it crosses the

A249 The A249 is a road in Kent, England, running from Maidstone to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. It mainly functions as a link between the M2 and M20 motorways, and for goods vehicle traffic to the port at Sheerness. In 2006 an upgraded d ...

over the Stockbury Viaduct at Junction 5 (for

Sheerness Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby tow ...

and Maidstone East). It then takes the unusually gentle coastal lower slopes of the North Downs, below which before its end, is

north of Junction 6. It ends at Junction 7, allowing traffic to continue on either of two dual carriageways: the A299 for six coastal towns including four on Thanet or the upgraded A2 towards

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...

and

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

as far as

Lydden ''Lydden is also the name of a hamlet in the Manston, Kent civil parish'' Lydden is a civil parish and small village in the Dover district of Kent, England. The Lydden Race Circuit is located between here and Wootton to the west of the village. ...

, from the edge of Dover which then mainly reduces to one operational lane each way.

History

Original construction

The initial section of the motorway (junctions 2 to 5) was opened by the then Transport Minister Ernest Marples on 29 May 1963, with the remainder being constructed in 1965. It was opened in three stages: *Junctions 1 to 2 in 1965 *Junctions 2 to 5 in 1963 *Junctions 5 to 7 in 1965 It was planned to extend the M2 to London and Dover, making it the main route between London and the channel

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

s, but this extension never materialised due to a lack of traffic demand. Instead the A2 was dualled and improved from Brenley Corner to Dover. The M2 was originally to be designated as the A2(M), but as a result of the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' reporting it as the M2, the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ...

adopted this, and later decided upon the M20 designation for the main London-Channel Ports link.

Junction amendments

Aside from retrofitting central crash barriers, like all early motorways, the alignment of the M2 did not significantly change until the late 1990s. Traffic using it decreased when the M20 was completed from London to

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

in May 1991, while the M2 continued to Canterbury and the North

ports of Sheerness and Ramsgate. Junction 1 was altered when the A289 ''Wainscott Northern bypass'' was built in the late 1990s.

Widening

The M2 was still busy between Junctions 1 and 4, and suffered from HGVs blocking the outside lane. In 2000 work began on widening the M2 from two lanes to four lanes. A joint venture between

Costain Costain is a surname of English, Scottish and Manx origin. When originating in Scotland and northern Ireland the surname is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic ''Mac Austain'', meaning "son of ''Austin''". The English surname is a reduced form of '' ...

Skanska Skanska AB () is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden. Skanska is the fifth-largest construction company in the world according to ''Construction Global'' magazine. Notable Skanska projects include renovation of t ...

and Mowlem (CSM) created the company that would undertake the project. The project required the redesign of Junction 2 and Junction 3, and a second Medway Bridge. The existing bridge was converted to a four lane eastbound carriageway (including a hard shoulder). The new bridge formed the westbound carriageway. The entire stretch was lit with streetlights (the old section was not lit). The old Medway Bridge was physically narrowed by removing part of the footpath. High-pressure water cutting equipment was used to cut the concrete into manageable sections for disposal. There is only one path open to the public now. Spoil from the

North Downs Tunnel The North Downs Tunnel, also known as the Blue Bell Hill Tunnel, is a railway tunnel that carries High Speed 1 through the North Downs, at Blue Bell Hill near Maidstone in Kent, south-east England. The tunnel is 3.2 kilometres (2 ...

was used to form the new embankment for the London bound traffic between Junction 2 and the Nashenden Valley. The widening was completed in July 2003.

Service area

The M2 opened with a single service area between Junctions 4 and 5, named Farthing Corner Services and operated by Top Rank. Today the services are known as Medway services and are operated under the Moto brand with a Travelodge hotel. The services have an access road to the local network for service and delivery vehicles that is not, like some

motorway service area Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also known as services or service stations, are rest areas where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel. The va ...

s, restricted with a gate or barrier. This has led to local businesses using the services as an unofficial exit from the motorway.

Junctions

{, style="margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em; color:black; font-size:95%;" class="wikitable" , - style="background:#0080d0; text-align:center; color:white; font-size:120%;" , colspan="6" , M2 motorway junctions , - !scope=col, miles !scope=col, km !scope=col abbr="Westbound", Westbound exits (B carriageway) !scope=col, Junction !scope=col abbr="Eastbound", Eastbound exits (A carriageway) !scope=col, Coordinates , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="2", 27.0
27.5 , rowspan="2", 43.4
44.3 , ''Road continues as A2 to London'' , J1 ,

A2
Gillingham,

Grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

A289
'' Non-motorway traffic'' , rowspan="2", , - style="text-align:center;" , Grain, Rochester A289 , J1A , ''Start of motorway'' , - , - style="text-align:center;" , 28.8
29.0 , 46.3
46.6 , Strood/Rochester,

A228 , J2 , Strood/Rochester, West Malling A228 , , - style="text-align:center;" , 32.6
32.8 , 52.4
52.8 ,

, Chatham, Rochester A229
Chatham B12(A) , J3 , Maidstone, Chatham A229
Channel Tunnel (M20) , , - style="text-align:center;" , 36.4
36.5 , 58.5
58.8 , Gillingham A278 , J4 , Gillingham A278 , , - style="text-align:center;" , , , '' Medway Services'' , ''Services'' , ''Medway Services'' , , - style="text-align:center;" , 40.0
40.3 , 64.4
64.9 , Maidstone,

A249
The WEST,

Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after ...

(M20) , J5 , Maidstone,

, Sheerness A249 , , - style="text-align:center;" , 50.6
50.8 , 81.5
81.8 , Faversham,

Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom *Ashford, Kent, a town **B ...

A251 , J6 , Faversham, Ashford A251 , , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="2", 52.3
52.6 , rowspan="2", 84.2
84.7 , ''Start of motorway'' , rowspan="2", J7 , Canterbury, Dover, Channel Tunnel A2 , rowspan="2", , - style="text-align:center;" , Canterbury, Channel Tunnel,
Dover, Faversham A2
''Non-motorway traffic'' , ''Road continues as A299 (Thanet Way) to

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to the Census, there was a populati ...

'' , - , colspan=6, Notes *Distances in kilometres and carriageway identifiers are obtained from

driver location signs Driver location signs are signs placed every along each side of English motorways, and some other major English roads, to provide information that will allow motorists to know their precise location. , roads in England, but not Scotland, Wale ...

/location marker posts. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the data is available, both the start and finish values for the junction are shown. *Coordinate data from ACME Mapper. , -

References

External links

*CBRD
Motorway Database – M2

Media – Photos Of the Medway Viaduct Under Construction

Histories – Opening Booklets, including M2
{{DEFAULTSORT:2-0002m Motorways in England Roads in Kent