by Nisha Chopra

An investigation is being mounted after traffic was gridlocked for hours over the weekend during M20 closures.

The Londonbound carriageway was closed between junctions 8 and 7 for bridge and resurfacing work.

But drivers were fuming after spending part of their Saturday stuck in three-hour jams - trying to get onto the planned diversions.

Steve Bloom from Wye left his house to see his son in Rochester at 1.20pm and arrived at 4.45pm.

He said: "I spent almost three hours getting between two junctions, it was an absolute nightmare."

He added: "Everything was fine and suddenly there was this wall of parked traffic.

"There were no signs to say the road had closed."

The traffic was so bad people started getting out of their cars.

The 58-year-old said: "There was a chap taking his dog for a walk on the hard shoulder and a couple got out of their car for a dance and he picked her some flowers."

Audio: Steve Bloom, of Wye, speaks to Nisha Chopra about being stuck in M20 traffic for hours

Despite the Highways Agency insisting that disruption would be kept to a minimum, Steve said the roadworks were poorly managed.

He added: "The traffic was going nowhere. It's bad management practice not to have implemented road signs."

Others stuck in traffic have left their comments on this site.

Someone listed as 'C' said: "My husband was in that traffic,he joined at J10 at 11.45am and finally got home at 4.45pm.

"He said that he saw cars going up the hard shoulder,trying to get ahead of everyone else.

"He said that he felt sorry for the cars that had children in, especially little ones."

SW wrote: "I drove coastbound on the M20 down to J10 (Ashford) on Saturday afternoon..... the tailback on the London bound carriageway was at least five five to six miles long!!

"There were NO signs at all either on the motorway at J9 or J10 entry slips to say there were major tailback and a motorway closure at J8.

"Why was the traffic not diverted off up the M2 from Dover (there were hundreds of HGV's in the queue)?

"I was fortunate in that I wasn't in the queue on the other carriageway - if I was, I'd be fuming at the total lack of warnings about a known motorway closure."

Highways Agency county manager for Kent, John Burns said: "We're sorry indeed for the delays.

"There's no doubt about it, none of us like to be stuck in traffic."

He added: "We have fallen further down the M20 in terms of signing and that is something we've learnt a lesson on.

"We are going to review everything we have done in the run-up to the weekend's closures and we will take action on what we discover from that."

From today, one lane and the hard shoulder of the Londonbound M20 will still be closed to traffic. A 50mph temporary speed limit will also be in effect.

All work is due to be completed by Friday.

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Drivers could face more delays if they are travelling on the M2 over the next few weeks.

There will be temporary lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 50mph in place overnight between junctions 4 and 6.

There will also be some slip road closures for which diversion routes will be in place.

It is so the Highways Agency can replace the road markings and reflective studs.

Work will start on the Coastbound carriageway tonight and last until Thursday June 23. It will then move to the Londonbound carriageway.

All maintenance should be completed by July 5.