5) was opened by the then Transport Minister Ernest Marples on 29 May 1963, with the remainder being constructed in 1965. It was opened in three stages: Junctions 1 to 2 in 1965 Junctions 2 to 5 in 1963 Junctions 5 to 7 in 1965 It was planned to extend the M2 to London and Dover, making it the main route between London and the channel ports, but this extension never materialised due to a lack of traffic demand. Instead the A2 was dualled and improved from Brenley Corner to Dover. The M2 was originally to be designated as the A2(M), but as a result of the Daily Telegraph reporting it as the M2, the Ministry of Transport adopted this, and later decided upon the M20 designation for the main London-Channel Ports link. Junction amendments Aside from retrofitting central crash barriers, like all early motorways, the alignment of the M2 did not significantly change until the late 1990s. Traffic using it decreased when the M20 was completed from London to Folkestone in May 1991, while the M2 continued to Canterbury and the North Kent ports of Sheerness and Ramsgate. Junction 1 was altered when the A289 Wainscott Northern bypass was built in the late 1990s. Widening The M2 was still busy between junctions 1 and 4, and suffered from HGVs blocking the outside lane. In 2000, work began on widening the M2 from two lanes to four lanes. A joint venture between Costain, Skanska and Mowlem (CSM) created the company that would undertake the project. The project required the redesign of junction 2 and junction 3, and a second Medway Bridge. The existing bridge was converted to a four lane eastbound carriageway (including a hard shoulder). The new bridge formed the westbound carriageway. The entire stretch was lit with streetlights (the old section was not lit). The old Medway Bridge was physically narrowed by removing part of the footpath. High-pressure water cutting equipment was used to cut the concrete into manageable sections for disposal. There is only one path open to the public now. Spoil from the North Downs Tunnel was used to form the new embankment for the London bound traffic between junction 2 and the Nashenden Valley. The widening was completed in July 2003. Service area The M2 opened with a single service area between junctions 4 and 5, named Farthing Corner Services and operated by Top Rank.