Traffic chaos is expected across Canterbury when the city’s three main level crossings are shut on the same day.

Council officers have given the green light for barriers to remain down for 24 hours in St Dunstan’s Street, St Stephen’s Road and Sturry.

All three crossings will shut for unconnected reasons on Sunday, June 4, sending motorists on diversion routes around the city.

The train line between Ashford and Ramsgate, via Canterbury West, will also be closed throughout the day for maintenance works.

KCC says while permission would not typically be given to close the crossings simultaneously, there are “exceptional reasons” for granting the request from Network Rail.

The St Dunstan’s Street crossing will close to enable Network Rail to deliver machinery and technical equipment to complete work on the line between Canterbury West and Chartham.

It says the crossing is the only viable access point from which the work can be delivered.

The crossing in St Stephen’s Road will shut so work to repair the damaged road surface - which started earlier this year - can be completed.

Kent County Council says the work requires “specialised equipment” which has been booked for use on that day, saying “any deferral would result in significant delay to this work being delivered”.

Sturry’s level crossing will shut for “scheduled maintenance work”.

A KCC spokeman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the longer diversionary routes in operation on Sunday, June 4, but accept that access is required by Network Rail at these crossings on this date for urgent work to be undertaken.

“It is also preferable to have all the engineering work required at these crossings to be undertaken on one day when the railway line is shut between Ashford International and Ramsgate, via Canterbury West, rather than to spread this essential maintenance work over several days, requiring separate line closures.”