A busy main route in and out of a housing estate will be shut for a month for essential gas works.

Parts of Riverview Park, near Gravesend, have closed today (January 15) to allow utilities company SGN to carry out vital upgrades to the network.

Its contractor WCB Utilities will be completing this project to replace old metal mains and services with new plastic pipes.

Work has started in Marling Way and Astra Drive today and will last for around six weeks.

In a letter to residents, a spokesman for SGN said: “This essential work will ensure your community continues to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.

“Due to the position of the pipes in the road, and to ensure the safety of everyone around our worksite we will need to close some of the roads around our work area.

“While the roads are closed, there will be signed diversion routes in place and access will be kept for residents and businesses.

“We understand that people can get frustrated by roadworks, and therefore we only use traffic management that we feel is efficient enough to complete these works safely for ourselves and the public.”

Part of Marling Way, which is one of the main roads in and out of Riverview Park, is expected to be closed until Tuesday, February 13.

Engineers will be working outside number 54 to the junction with Tower Close and will also seal off the junction with Cirrus Crescent.

Astra Drive will also be closed for the same period with work happening outside number 62 to number 124.

Advance warning notices were put up in the area.