A249 road (Great Britain)
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 18.6 mi (29.9 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: |
Maidstone 51°16′13″N 0°31′32″E / 51.2704°N 0.5255°E |
     ![]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Motorway_Right.svg/5px-Motorway_Right.svg.png "]"){kind=small} M2 motorway M20 motorway A2 road A20 road A229 road A250 road
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| North end: |
Sheerness 51°26′32″N 0°45′26″E / 51.4422°N 0.7572°E |
| Road network | |
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 dual carriageway section opened between Iwade and Queenborough, including a new fixed crossing over the Swale. The existing lifting Kingsferry Bridge has been retained as an alternative route. On 5 September 2013 more than 100 vehicles were involved in an accident on the crossing.
The A249 begins close to Maidstone town centre, where it commences by heading eastwards from the southbound A229 Lower Stone Street along first Mote Road and then along Wat Tyler Way. Due to Maidstone's one-way system, the westbound carriageway extends along for a short way along Knightrider Street (towards the Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone) before it then ends, as it meets the northbound carriageway of the A229. At the top of Wat Tyler Way, where that road meets King Street, the A249 occupies a small gyratory system which joins the A20 (heading east to Ashford).
From here, the A249 heads north on Albion Place. This very quickly becomes the Sittingbourne Road (crossing over the Maidstone East railway station -Bearsted railway station). After passing Vinters Park, and reaching the north end of the town at the Chiltern Hundreds roundabout (named after the adjacent pub). This old route (Maidstone and Sittingbourne) is broken as the old Sittingbourne Road has become a Park and Ride facility.
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Wikipedia