WORK is finally set to begin on a long-delayed £18 million bus underpass linking a garden city to a major shopping centre.
A tunnel project beneath Bean Road, near Bluewater, Kent, has suffered years of setbacks – largely attributed to funding challenges.
But according to Kent Online, construction is now expected to commence this year.
The structure will be approximately 75 metres in length, which means it is technically an underpass rather than a tunnel – despite being commonly referred to as the Bean tunnel.
It will run through the chalk spine beneath Bean Road, creating a new link between the emerging Whitecliffe housing development and the Bluewater shopping centre, while also improving access to Ebbsfleet International railway station.
Conceived as part of a wider connectivity project for Ebbsfleet Garden City, the route is intended to be shared by buses, cyclists and pedestrians – strengthening public transport options and active travel connections in the area.
Two existing haulage tunnels dating from the 1990s are there at the moment – originally constructed to help with earthworks movements during Bluewater’s development.
These, though, are no longer suitable for their intended modern transport role.
First considered by KCC’s planning committee in 2019, the scheme was subsequently granted full planning permission in May 2020.
But despite securing consent, the project stalled due to a funding gap.
Earlier reports suggested that the original £13 million estimate could double by 2024, but the confirmed £18 million price comes in significantly below those projections – enabling the scheme to go ahead.
The new underpass is expected to streamline movement between local destinations, supporting the growth of Whitecliffe and the wider Ebbsfleet Garden City, while also offering a dedicated route for buses and helping to reduce car travel to Bluewater and Ebbsfleet International.
Elsewhere, a first-of-its-kind box slide has been used to install a 65‑metre, 8,500‑tonne prefabricated concrete underpass beneath the M27 at Junction 10.
The motorway was closed in both directions between Junctions 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate) and 11 (Fareham) until January 4 as part of a £100 million scheme to link Fareham with the forthcoming Welborne Garden Village.
And after months of planning and a brief half‑metre test, the main operation began on Christmas Eve – with specialist teams working from Boxing Day afternoon into the early hours of December 27 to slide the structure into place using large hydraulic jacks, power packs and precision monitoring to millimetre tolerances.
