Residents fear plans to seal off parts of a key route between two Kent towns will trigger "nightmare" gridlock.

Highways chiefs will seal off the coast-bound carriageway of the New Thanet Way between Whitstable and Herne Bay for four weeks later this year, before imposing a one-month closure on the opposite side of the road.

Kent County Council officials say teams will replace the lights in the Chestfield tunnel and carry out "deep carriageway reconstruction repairs" in the area while each side of the route is shut.

But locals believe the closures will "massively clog up" the neighbouring A2990 Old Thanet Way.

"Traffic will be backed right up onto it, which it can be now when it's busy in the summer," said one Herne Bay dad.

"It'll be gridlock at rush-hour and during school runs at the Greenhill and Canterbury Road roundabouts.

"Every car heading to Thanet or the other way going through the Bay and Whitstable is going to be affected.

"Coming off the New Thanet Way at Whitstable near Estuary View will be an absolute nightmare."

Pointing to the ongoing works along popular rat-run Bullockstone Road - which will remain closed until the summer - the parent added: "My town is basically getting cut off."

A notice penned by the county council reasons the lighting in the Chestfield tunnel needs replacing as it "has reached the end of its life".

The authority will close the Thanet-bound side for 24 hours a day between April 24 and May 26.

It will then seal off the carriageway used by motorists heading towards London until June 30.

The diversion routes have not yet been decided, but county councillor Neil Baker says they will require careful consideration.

“The amount of disruption will depend on where drivers will be directed is it’s going to require quite a bit of thinking,” said Mr Baker

“If it all goes down the Old Thanet Way that’s going to be pretty lively.

"But we’re all more than used to roadworks and traffic around here at this point.

“It’s great when these kinds of roadworks are finished, but the period went he work is being done is always a pain.”

County council bosses plan to carry out the works under full day-long carriageway closures, while teams work on each bore of the tunnel.

"Work will be carried out between April 24 and June 30," a traffic notice reads.

"The lighting has reached the end of its life and needs replacing therefore we propose converting the lighting to energy efficient LED lighting.

"The replacement lighting will not only improve visibility within the tunnel but will also reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

"While the lighting replacement work is being carried out, we will also be carrying out deep carriageway reconstruction repairs to the A299 Thanet Way in various locations."