From next week, you will notice four new signs around Ashford town displaying information and advice on the local traffic situation.
Installed by Kent County Council, these Visual Messaging Systems will keep road users up-to-date on accidents, roadworks and other changes which may impact on their journey.
Four signs should begin operating by the end of this week; three facing the approaches to the Drovers Roundabout and Junction 9 (situated on Maidstone Road, Chart Road and the A20 opposite Repton Park), and the other next to the Holiday Inn on the A28 near Junction 10. They will be controlled by KCC from their base in Aylesford, and can hold four lines of text with 15 characters on each line. Although they will be used mainly for traffic advice, they can also convey short messages – directing visitors to events such as the Farmers’ Market, or to make them aware of our parking offers or car park capacity.
We are currently exploring the possibility of going even further by installing additional, more flexible, signage offering a greater degree of pixellation, incorporating pictures and longer messages. These would not only welcome visitors to Ashford but would also offer more detailed updates about what is going on in the town. These more versatile signs would offer great potential for the future, tying in to this administration’s aims of championing the borough and making the most of Ashford’s potential as a destination for business and tourism.