A stretch of road redesigned as part of a controversial scheme is being ripped up after safety concerns were highlighted with the new surface.

Engineers are digging up sections of The Boulevard adjoining A2070 Bad Munstereifel Road in Ashford for a second time while work to correct the issues are carried out.

The road was redeveloped as part of the ‘Bellamy Gurner’ project which has seen the Orbital Park roundabout ripped out and replaced with four-way traffic lights.

The whole scheme was only supposed to take six months but has now lasted more than a year.

Bosses say The Boulevard will remain closed until 5am on Monday from the Monument Way roundabout to the new traffic light-controlled junction on the A2070.

Cllr Paul Bartlett (Con), who represents Mersham and Sevington South with Finberry, says it is because issues with the surface were found during inspections by Kent County Council (KCC).

“I had a meeting with all the stakeholders on Tuesday which gave an insight into the way the project has been handled,” Cllr Bartlett said.

“The communication with everyone has been dreadful, I think it has been a bit of a shambles.

“It seems to me that had KCC known about the issue early doors, they could have stopped them from having to redo it.

“It’s to do with the surface and the effectiveness of the materials they have used.

“All the stakeholders need to learn from this experience that they need to involve the county council on big projects at an early stage so there are no surprises right at the end.

“The best we can say is that it will be horrifically beneficial for people in Finberry and for people who need to move around the town once it is done.”

Unless any other issues emerge, all of the work around the junction will finally finish on Monday.

As well as The Boulevard closure, the eastbound stretch of the A2070 will also be closed again this weekend, sparking fears the town could be gridlocked for the third weekend running.

It will be closed from the Cloverleaf junction to the new traffic lights at the Orbital Park junction from Friday night until 5am on Monday morning.

Michelle Lloyd, who works for Littlejohn Flooring on Orbital Park, says the closures over the past few weeks have been a nightmare.

The 39-year-old said: “We have had customers who wanted to come in on Saturday but they couldn't get here.

“Some got stuck in it so they turned around to go home.

“Coming in from Kennington took me an hour-and-a-half on Saturday morning so it has had a massive impact on footfall.

“Our customers were frustrated because it was near impossible to get to us.

“We all thought the road was fixed, but now suddenly we are having issues again.”

Branch manager Ryan Brunton, of Brandon Hire Station in Hall Avenue, says the closures have caused the business so much grief.

“They should have done it right the first time,” he explained.

“On an average day, we lose the best part of three hours trying to get in and out with the traffic, and it gets even worse at 5pm.

“It is absolute chaos, it's the second time they have dug the road up, it has not been very well thought out.

“It is a year later than expected, yet it feels like it has been rushed.

“Traffic improved for a while but now it has gone back to square one with chaos and carnage.

“Not many people want to come onto the business estate because of this reason.”

However, Chris Wootley, owner of The Monster Merchants in Tavis House Business Centre, says he has had no issues at all.

“It doesn't actually impact us too much because we don't rely on footfall, we are mainly online,” he said.

“We start at 8am and we finish at 4.30pm so we arrive before rush hour and leave before it starts.

“You would always hope work gets done as quickly as possible but the reality is, things go wrong.“

Harish Popat, National Highways programme delivery manager, said: “We thank road users for their patience and understanding while we create a new signalised junction on the A2070 in place of the existing Orbital Park roundabout and Avocet Way junction.

“This work is part of the new Finberry housing development and we expect to finish this weekend once the high friction surface has been completed.

“For the safety of the public and our contractors we need to close the whole carriageway to complete this safety critical work. When complete, the new layout will increase capacity for both pedestrians and road users.”

A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson, the developer funding the scheme, said: “We thank residents for their ongoing patience as we complete the final stages of works at the junction, including signage, remedial works and high-friction surfacing.

“To allow for the remaining works to be completed in a safe manner, the road will be closed over the weekend (July 1 and 2).”