The Ridgeway

The Ridgeway, often called the Stockbury Roundabout on travel reports forms Junction 5 of the M2. A fairly low standard junction, there are a pair of folded sliproads from the M2 running down to the a roundabout on the A249. It A249 is built into a valley so the viaduct here can be seen for miles around. It because of this valley that makes this junction a tricky one; the slips roads are tight and getting onto the M2 means going uphill.

Improvements

In 2016 it was announced that junction improvements with a budget of £50-£100m would be looked into in order to increase the capacity of the junction to support local growth projects.

A consultation took place in September and October 2017, which presented Option 12, an at grade solution as giving the highest cost/benefit ratio. However, this option was universally unpopular and in May 2018 Highways England announced their preferred route (4H1) which incorporates a flyover for the A249 above a roundabout providing access to the M2 via the existing sliproads.

Draft orders were published in June 2019, and construction is expected to start in Spring 2020.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M2	London
M2	Canterbury, Ramsgate, Dover
A249	Sittingbourne, Sheerness
A249	Maidstone, Channel Tunnel (M20), The West (M20, M25)
	Danaway, Chestnut Street	Maidstone Road
A2(M)	London	Provisional number for M2
A2(M)	Dover, Ramsgate, Canterbury	Provisional number for M2

Strip Maps

• 

  The current layout of the interchange.

• 

  The Ridgeway as it was in 1963.

Links

Highways England

• M2 junction 5 improvements
• Preferred Route Announcement Brochure (archive.org)(30.05.2018)