Work begins next week to help improve safety on a busy road where there has been several serious crashes.

The project in Luton Road, Chatham includes upgrading the pedestrian crossing outside the primary school and installing another crossing point.

The road will be closed while some of the work takes place and at other times there will be temporary traffic lights to manage traffic flow.

Medway Council said the work is being carried out to coincide with resurfacing the road between the junctions of Upper Luton Road and Edinburgh Road.

A pedestrian crossing island will be constructed near the junction with Upper Luton Road and the existing pedestrian crossing outside Luton Primary School, near the junction with Ambrose Hill, will be widened and improved.

This will include the construction of a raised traffic calming feature to make it safer, upgrading the traffic signals, resurfacing the footpaths, replacing the pedestrian guardrail and upgrading the street lighting.

There will also be other improvements to bus stops, traffic signs and road markings.

There has been several serious crashes in the road in recent years, including a head-on collision in May 2020.

The work at the existing pedestrian crossing will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will begin on Monday, August 9, and the second phase will take place during the October school holidays.

The first phase is due to take four weeks, during that time Luton High Street and Luton Road will be closed for two weeks from August 16.

Luton High Street will be closed for its entire length and Luton Road will be closed from Upper Luton Road to Castle Road.

A diversion will be in place that will take motorists along the A2 to Bowaters roundabout, along Hoath Way to Hempstead Road and then back towards Luton down Pear Tree Lane and Capstone Road.

During the other two weeks, temporary traffic lights will be in place at both Upper Luton Road and Ambrose Hill junctions from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday.

The second phase is due to start on October 25 and last for one week. The road will be closed for the entire week.

Buses will be diverted during both road closures and will not be able to pick up or drop off passengers between Street End Road and Castle Road in either direction.

In a letter from Medway Council residents were told: "Resurfacing works are by their nature noisy and it would be expected that higher levels of noise will be experienced during the works.

"Every effort will be made to keep the disturbance and site noise to a minimum but we do appreciate the inconvenience that this noise may cause.

"As far as practically possible disruptions will be kept to a minimum and the council apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause."

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