Business is suffering due to the long-standing traffic hold-ups on Medway’s biggest trading estate, worsened by “incompetent” highways management of roadworks nearby.

At least one firm is considering leaving if the chaos goes on.

Bosses have added their voices to the complaints of workers who face a daily nightmare getting off the Medway City Estate, home to 600 businesses and 6,000 staff.

The crisis has reached a head with reports of the mile journey from the outer part of the estate to the roundabout next to the Medway Tunnel taking up to two hours last night (Monday).

The Medway Messenger, whose offices are in Thomas Longley Road, has launched a campaign to Get the Medway City Estate moving.

We are calling on Medway Council, businesses, estate management and transport companies to take urgent action to tackle the traffic problems.

"We are seriously considering moving off of the estate if we cannot see progress being made" - estate worker Jason Foord

More than 500 people have added their signatures to our petition and dozens have shared stories of nightmare journeys, being late to pick up their children, and low staff morale.

Jason Foord, director of Infotech, said: “This is causing me a real headache with staff morale and getting to and from meetings – so much so that we are seriously considering moving off of the estate if we cannot see progress being made.

"Businesses will start to suffer if potential customers are deterred from coming on to the estate because of the hassle, stress and strain of coping with the traffic and long delays.”

Amanda Hurrell said: “I’ve noticed more and more people park their cars nearer the entrance to the estate and walk to them at night, past my car while I’m sitting waiting for the queue to move.

“This shouldn’t be necessary and companies like ours who have premises at the end of the estate then have to sit in traffic queues for over an hour just to reach the edge of the estate.

“I decided to work for an extra hour earlier this week to save me sitting in traffic, yet it still took me 40 minutes to reach the tunnel entrance after 6pm.”

Roadworks at Darnley Arch in Strood and gas works on Banks Road have exacerbated the problems, leading one councillor, Tristan Osborne (Lab), to say: “The incompetence surrounding the Darnley Arch, coupled with accessibility issues on the Medway City Estate, are causing significant and material harm to Medway businesses.”

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Medway Council had pledged to spend £2 million on improvements on the estate. It will go on an adapted bus to allow cyclists to board in Chatham and come through the Medway Tunnel, a foot passenger ferry from Chatham and an extra lane between the tunnel roundabout and the Sans Pareil.

• www.gopetition.com/petitions/get-the-medway-city-estate-moving.htmlTo sign the petition, visit