The poor signing of diversions for the A2 closure at the weekend has been branded an “unmitigated disaster” by Canterbury council leader John Gilbey.

It caused jams and long tailbacks through Blean and Rough Common and congestion around the city at the weekend as drivers tried to get into Canterbury or through to Dover.

Cllr Gilbey was inundated with complaints about the problem and blames inadequate signage for causing it.

The Highways Agency is closing the coastbound A2 from Brenley Corner to Canterbury from 8pm on Fridays to 6am on Mondays for carriageway repairs and the weekend closures are set to continue until December 1.

Motorists, particularly HGV drivers, heading for Dover are advised to use the M20 or head down the Thanet Way to Manston and back to the port via Sandwich and Whitfield.

But many are coming off at the Whitstable slip-road and attempting to get through Canterbury along the A290 through Blean to rejoin the A2 after the roadworks.

Cllr Gilbey said: “I have heard some horror stories about the traffic problems and clearly it was just appalling for people trying to get out and about.

“I have heard some horror stories about the traffic problems and clearly it was just appalling for people trying to get out and about" - Cllr John Gilbey

“There were even problems in Denstroude Lane, which is very narrow, as people tried to find rat runs around the gridlock, or their sat navs tried to direct them around the problem.

“I was returning to Canterbury on Sunday and it was clear the little yellow signs for the diversions for traffic heading east on the motorways were inadequate. They were terrible – just too small and poorly lit.”

Haulier Vaughan Howland also blamed poor signage when his fruit and veg depot was besieged by “hundreds of cars” and HGVs doing U-turns after using sat navs became stuck at the closed Dunkirk slip road.

Mr Vaughn said he thought the A2 diversion signs must have been incorrect and he rang the Highways Agency and contractor Balfour Beatty.

He said: “In the end I locked my gate up as it was getting dangerous with vehicles turning around. There must have been about 20 lorries and around 100 cars outside my depot.

But Highways say it was due to a five-car crash on the A2 near Brenley.

Most of the stuck drivers had come through Staplestreet and were hoping to get back on the A2, following yellow signs which some found confusing.

They were turning around at Dunkirk after discovering the slip road was blocked off.

Mr Howland, 76, said: “They [Kent Highways] are only repairing a bit of the A2 at a time so I don’t know why they have to close the whole length.”

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: “There was no problem with the signs. The problem was caused by an accident and people going off trying to find their own way around it.”

Cllr Gilbey says he has passed on the complaints he received to the county council and met with its transport boss, who he hopes will put pressure on the Highways Agency to improve signs.

The council leader also fears it may have had a knock-on effect on business in the city centre as drivers gave up hope of getting in or were simply put off the journey because of the delays.

He is due to speak at a meeting of Blean parish council next week, where the issue has been put on the agenda.

Parish councillor Godfrey King said: “It was pretty awful at the weekend. The traffic was nose to tale for more than a mile through Blean, which made it very difficult to people to get out and about.

“I had to go to Chartham Hatch but gave up and turned back. The whole journey took me an hour-and-a-half."

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