Transport chiefs are under fire over claims they are behind schedule with the £7.5m revamp of the Maidstone gyratory.

The issue was raised by the leader of the Liberal Democrat group Cllr Robert Bird.

He brought up the delay at the first full council meeting of KCC since the May election.

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In a written question tabled to councillor Matthew Balfour, cabinet member for transport, he questioned why the project had not been completed by the estimated date of the start of 2017.

He also complained about the mess around the site and the failure of contractors to clear it up and said there were unnecessary lane closures when it seemed no work was going on.

But Councillor Balfour rejected the complaints saying that the contractor had “worked effectively and efficiently to minimise delays and should be congratulated.”

He said contractors had worked hard on a difficult project in a very confined space and that the northbound lanes had become operational in December.

Cllr Bird said after the meeting: “The works are long overdue.

"They were due to be completed at the very start of the year and they are still going on. We have lane closures which are affecting drivers and other obstructions affecting pedestrians.

“The other problem we have is the general mess of old signs lying around, bollards and sandbags. Basically it looks a tip.”

The idea of the works is to ease congestion in the town centre with council bosses hoping the new road layout will shave 74 seconds off journey times along the A20 Broadway and A229 Bishops Way.