Frustrated residents and business owners say multiple emergency roadworks around a town are causing ”ridiculous” traffic problems.

Those living and working in Rainham have said it is taking half an hour to drive for what should be a five-minute journey and many are turning up late to appointments and schools.

Maggie Francis is even choosing to stay inside rather than face sitting in queues to get out of her house in Finwell Road.

She said: “I just cannot be bothered to sit in traffic. We understand if it is an emergency but there have to be better ways to communicate with us.

“People are taking half an hour to do a five-minute journey. It has just snarled up, it is completely out of control.

“There are occasions when the traffic blocks badly when there are accidents on the motorway or if Lower Rainham Road is blocked as it is at the moment.

“It all throws itself onto the A2 and then there are issues but they are fairly quickly resolved if it is an incident.

“However, this is far from normal. This is ridiculously far from normal.”

Across Rainham utilities company SGN has been undertaking emergency works in four roads due to multiple gas leaks.

Lower Rainham Road at its junction with Pump Lane was closed until today (March 25) while Pump Lane between Lower Rainham Road and Beechings Way is shut until April 3.

A spokesman for SGN, Bradley Barlow, said: “We began work on Friday, March 1 to repair gas leaks found in Pump Lane.

“We have completed our work and we are currently repairing the road ready for use – our temporary traffic management measures will be removed as soon as this has been completed, hopefully by today (March 25).”

Elsewhere, the top of Holding Street at its junction with the A2 has been closed until March 27 and Wakeley Road has been sealed off between Taswell Road and Mardale Close until March 28.

Mr Barlow added: “We also started work to repair a gas leak at the junction of Holding Street and the High Street.

“For everyone’s safety around our work area, we’ve installed temporary two-way traffic lights on the High Street and temporarily closed the junction with Holding Street.”

In a statement posted online, Medway Council said: “All sites have been inspected to ensure they are set up correctly and diversion routes checked.

“Traffic is being monitored and planned works will not be allowed until emergency works are complete.”

Residents and business owners said they understand the works are unplanned but the diversions have been causing traffic chaos as it builds up on Station Road, Berengrave Lane, and the High Street

Co-owner of Hales and Moore Fishmongers, in Station Road, Bradley Moore, said they have seen less footfall this week due to the issues.

He added: “It is making it very difficult. People are understandably not bothering to come and see us as they are going to sit in traffic for half an hour.

“It seems they do the roadworks in four or five places in one go and it just stops everything. It just becomes gridlocked.”

Nearby business Just Cutts said it has also been facing similar problems. Butcher Shane Baker added: “What is normally a two-minute drive into work for me is now 10 minutes.

“It is not a massive impact but I am getting stuck on the A2. A lot of customers are moaning about the traffic.”

SGN’s Mr Barlow added: “We are aiming to complete our repair as quickly as possible but it is too soon to say when this will be.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience our work may cause for the local community.”