HIGHWAYS engineers have been warned they will bring a town to a standstill when they resurface a major road next spring.

Work is due to start on the A20 in Dover on March 3 and will take between 12 and 15 weeks, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to resurface the whole road from the Eastern Docks to the Western Heights roundabout.

Work will not take place on bank holidays or during the Dover Maritime Festival from March 28 to 30.

The warning came from Keith Jefferies, of The Gateway Residents’ Association, at a meeting at which plans were explained for how the work in Dover would be carried out.

"Come to my flat and see the chaos there at the moment," he said. "Lorries are nose to tail. That’s a hell of a lot of traffic."

Restrictions will be put in place, diversions will be set up, and various sections of the A20 will be completely closed to traffic from 8pm until 5am as the work progresses.

District councillor Nigel Collor said the road was in "a terrible condition".

Road users will be redirected onto the M2/A2 whenever possible, and vehicles will be directed off the A20 at Capel, down Folkestone Road into the town, or via Whitfield Hill between the town and the A2 at various times.

Parking will be banned in the narrowest parts of Folkestone Road, with the loss of 27 spaces.

Road signs in English, French, German and Polish will be displayed from the M25 onwards warning drivers of possible delays.