A six-month closure of vital village roads has already sparked fears of "impending chaos" for thousands of motorists.

Blocking the B2163 and seven back roads in Leeds, near Maidstone, has been necessary to allow South East Water (SEW) to lay 535m of new water pipes to replace burst-prone infrastructure.

Shutting the routes is designed to send all traffic along Willington Street to become the main connecting road between the A20 and the A274.

The first concrete bollards were installed around 1pm at Burgess Hall Drive in Upper Street.

Further down, marshals in orange hi-vis coats redirected cars into Forge Lane but many drivers opted to turn around and head for Willington Street instead.

The back roads are being blocked off at one end with concrete blocks and chicanes at the other. Marshals will be on hand to advise motorists from 7am to 7pm for the first fortnight.

In the past, the closure of the B2163 has led to motorists using single track lanes with claims of damage to private property, angry confrontations and chewed up verges.

There are fears among locals that some motorists will still "chance their arm" to bypass Willington Street by heading through Otham and Downswood where there are no restrictions.

Queues quickly started to form on the steep hill through the village near the George Inn pub when the closure came into force today.

It remains to be seen how the A20 and A274 will cope with the massive demands placed on them during rush hour periods.

SEW says it must carry out the work to replace crumbling pipes to service the new housing in the area.

While pipe-laying goes on in Upper Street, South East Water will dig trial holes in Lower Street to help analyse the condition of the pipes after being made aware of leaks in the area.

Kent County Council transport chief Cllr David Brazier admitted today: "It's not going to be easy. A great number of local residents have expressed concerns. This is a primary route through that part of Maidstone.

"This is a major South East Water project but the law (the Highways Act) requires

South East Water to be responsible for the traffic management of it. We are working closely with them so that the best possible solutions can be found."

A public meeting is due to be held on August 4 at Leeds Village Hall to garner public feedback on the project.

Villages around Leeds such as Bearsted, Hollingbourne, Sutton Valence, Chart Sutton and Harrietsham are likely to be affected by the closure.

Bearsted borough and parish councillor Denis Spooner said: "It's impending chaos, I'm afraid. It is not helped that Ware Street in Bearsted is also shut presently.

"Having said that, traffic always seems to find a way round but there is no doubt it is going to cause an immense amount of inconvenience to a great many people."

Leeds county councillor Gary Cooke has repeatedly expressed misgivings about the whether Willington Street can cope with all the traffic Leeds normally absorbs.

He said today: "There may be sufficient capacity while the children are off school but we'll have a better feel for it by the time of the August 4 meeting.

"I will be arguing on behalf of the residents, not for KCC and not South East Water. There may be areas that might need to be tweaked a little and in the meantime we have to wait and see."

Jeremy Dufour, Project Manager for South East Water, said: “During the past six months, we have worked closely with Kent Highways to balance the competing needs of residents and businesses in and around Leeds to reduce community disruption when we begin laying a new water main.

"We are fully aware there is no one single resolution which will address all the traffic management concerns locals have raised, however feel we have a plan which addresses most while keeping people safe.

“We appreciate that this, like any alternative option, will not suit everybody, however the installation of this new pipe is vital to ensure the long term supply of water to the village as the community grows as well as reduce disruption as the existing pipeline regularly leaks and bursts.

“Road closures are always a last resort, but this is required to ensure the safety of the public and our workforce. We urge all traffic in the area to use the official diversion route."

The work will cost £460,000 as part of SEW's £489m investment in upgrading its pipe network.

The George Inn, the 17th century coaching inn, is a stone’s throw from Leeds Castle, will remain open for business during the closure.

Throughout the school summer holidays The George is offering a kid’s main meal free with every adult’s meal, Monday to Friday from noon to 6pm. This special offer runs until September 1.

Licensees Debbie and Jason Tharp have been running the Shepherd Neame pub almost 10 years.

Debbie said: “We have had amazing support from the village and visitors throughout that time. We want to stay here as long as we can as we love being here.

“We hope that while the road is closed through the village, people won’t forget about us. We can’t wait to welcome you in.”

Programme phases:

July 24 - August 15 - junction of Horseshoes Lane and to Burberry Lane;

July 24 - September 18 - south of Chapel Cottages to Burgess Hall Drive;

September 18 - November 6 - Burgess Hall Drive to Ledian Gardens;

November 8 - November 24 - Ledian Gardens to Farmer Close;

November 24 - January 3 - Farmer Close to southern side of Forge Lane

January 3 - January 20 - Crossing Forge Lane junction and connection in Forge Lane

Additional roads which will be closed include: George Lane, Old Mill Road, Caring Lane, Back Street, Broomfield Road, Burberry Lane and Duck Pond Lane.