Motorists face a nightmare 40-mile diversion as a pothole-ridden stretch of the A2 undergoes repair work for up to 11 weeks.

Highways chiefs have revealed the dual-carriageway will be shut on alternating sides between Faversham and Canterbury for as many as six consecutive weekends, starting on September 3.

A further four weekend closures could be enforced along the six-mile stretch - between Brenley Corner and the Wincheap Interchange - in the weeks up to November 22.

All but one will last from 8pm on Friday night to 6am on Monday morning.

The official 40-mile diversion route will take drivers along the A299 Thanet Way to the Sevenscore roundabout near Cliffsend and down the A256 towards Dover, and vice versa.

Motorists looking to get to Canterbury from Brenley Corner will likely cut along the A290 at Blean.

One business impacted by the road closures will be Boughton-based haulier V Howland.

The firm has dozens of lorries coming and going every week, largely carrying fruit and vegetables.

Boss Billy Howland says any closures will be “hell” for the operations of the business.

“We are just coming into the apple-picking season so will have a lot of lorries on the move,” he said.

“We will certainly need to be operating at the times the lanes are closed.

“The problem is that some of our lorries are up to 44 tonnes, but it looks like we could be forced to go into a 7.5-tonne weight limit zone (Boughton High Street) to get out of the area.

“That’s technically an offence, but if we get a fine, I will certainly be challenging that in court.”

The repairs to the A2 will be seen as long-overdue by many.

Emma Offredi, whose bungalow backs onto the road at Upper Harbledown, is among those to have been frustrated by the poor state of the carriageway.

She said in April: “When lorries crash over the potholes, the whole house shakes and the windows rattle.”

A stretch of the A2 near Upper Harbledown was shut several months ago and repairs were carried out but residents were disappointed when holes opened up again just a week later.

It was said at the time that the repairs were only ever meant to be temporary and further extensive works were planned.

A previous version of this article reported the A2 would be closed in both directions for eight consecutive weekends. This story was based on information provided by Canterbury City Council, but has been amended in light of information given by Highways England.

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