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Inconsiderate drivers squeezing past an A-road closure - the fourth in a year - have ripped up a grass verge.
The A28 near Chilham has been shut by East Stour Farm since last Thursday due to a burst water main.
It is the fourth time the main route between Canterbury and Ashford has been blocked off since April 2024.
Now, fed-up motorists have begun to sneak around the closure, creating muddy tyre tracks on East Stour Farm’s verges in the process.
Daran Byrom is a co-owner of the butchers Stour Valley Game based at the farm.
His customers have had to access the business from the Ashford side of the closure, or park up and get past the roadworks on foot.
He said: “They are having to walk through mud because the cars are pushing all the barriers over and driving through it.
“It's just one big nightmare at the moment.”
A video shows the grass damaged by deep tyre tracks, and building equipment which has been run over.
Mr Byron says he told South East Water about the leak, which was causing a puddle in a nearby field, two weeks ago, but no one attended to sort the issue at the time.
The water main then burst through the tarmac on the busy route, leading to the emergency closure.
The 42-year-old says only one side of the carriageway has been dug up, and questions why temporary traffic lights were not used instead.
He added: “From Saturday morning till 9am yesterday - nobody's been there.
“At 5pm - they will all have gone home again.
“It's an emergency closure on a main route, and they're working nine till five.
“They should be working around the clock.”
He says takings at his business have been down 50% since the A28 has been shut.
“All our staff, apart from one, come from Canterbury,” he added.
“Where it should be a 20-minute journey - it's a 45-minute journey.
“It’s not good at all.
“With Mothering Sunday coming up, this should be a really busy week.
“I'm not saying that we're on the brink, but it's a major inconvenience when you are only trying to earn a living.”
In a statement, Greg Groombridge, South East Water's regional leakage manager, said: "We're sorry to residents and commuters for the disruption along the A28 near Chilham, which has been caused by a burst main.
“The damage to the carriageway was quite extensive so for the safety of the public and our workers, we have closed the road.
"We're working closely with the local authorities to return the road to a safe, drivable condition as soon as possible.
“While the necessary assessments and planning are taking place, it may appear that we are not working on site, however, we are working hard behind the scenes.
“To keep disruption to a minimum, we're looking to do all the repair work at once to avoid multiple road closures.
"We understand that roadworks can be frustrating and apologise for the inconvenience this closure is causing.
“We are doing everything we can to finish the reinstatement as quickly and safely as possible.
“We're aiming to have the road reopened by Monday, March 31."
Last April, the A28 was shut for several days for a burst pipe to be fixed.
It then had to be shut down days later for more repairs after the first fix created a large lump in a 50mph zone.
Another section of the road had to close again in October for gas works.
