Businesses in an area described as Ashford’s biggest cul-de-sac because of bridge works will have to suffer inconvenience for another 10 weeks.

Work on the Newtown Road Bridge project should have been finished by early October but Kent County Council has revealed that the project is dragging on until December 20 because of underground cable work.

Network Rail says its own work to refurbish the bridge was completed on time.

But KCC spokesman Phil Scrivener said: “The work is due for completion on December 20, 10 weeks later than expected.

“This is mainly due to the need to divert underground services, which has taken longer than expected.

“Kent Highway Services is pressing for the road to be opened as soon as possible.”

The work began in February and traders say their businesses are affected and residents say they are cut off from the town centre.

Lee McGuinnes, manager of the Alfred Arms in Newtown Green, says he is having to rely on regular customers, rather than passing trade, to survive.

He said: “Newtown has effectively been turned into Ashford’s biggest cul-de-sac and people don’t come down her unless they need to.

“Since the start of the works our trade has just stagnated.

“The credit crunch is affecting everything anyway but to have a major source of trade cut off is soul destroying.

“Now every day is like groundhog day. You open up and wait for the same loyal customers to come in.”

Sue Fox, manager of the nearby Sue’s Hairdressers, says her business remains on an even keel because customers who can’t easily reach her salon have been replaced by others. But she says she is more concerned about the inconvenience to loyal, long-term clients.

She said: “Customers have had to pay more for taxis to get around the roadworks to reach us. We have lost about six to seven regular customers who have stopped coming.

“Financially we are ticking over because these have been replaced by people coming from shorter distances.

“The regulars who are still coming now don’t know how much longer they can do this.”