Residents and drivers are calling on Southern Water to finish repair works and bring an end to weeks of traffic misery on a major link road.

Temporary traffic lights have been in place on the A228 at Cuxton since August 26 due to a burst water main, causing lengthy tailbacks in both directions.

Southern Water has apologised and said the works should be complete today (Tuesday).

Residents said they had seen little sign of work being carried out at the junction and even questioned whether the traffic lights were necessary at all.

Richard Hoad of Station Road accused the company of attempting to “emulate the Marie Celeste” – with the work site having been apparently abandoned.

He added: “I am becoming increasingly dumbfounded at Southern Water’s lack of action in respect to the burst water main on the corner of Station Road at the junction with the A228.

“Further to the leak becoming apparent over two weeks ago a JCB finally turned up on Saturday, August 26 and dug a hole around the pipe - causing the leak to become a torrent - and of course the obligatory traffic lights were also set up causing absolute misery for those living in Cuxton / trying to travel on the A228.

“Since then absolutely nothing has happened, apart from regular by tanker lorries turning up to take away the excess water spill and causing even more disruption to traffic and pedestrians using Station Road.

“I find this absolutely unbelievable in view of the current water shortage we are experiencing - and also causing untold misery for road users on what is an already over used road network.”

Halling resident Lynne Fuller said the main works site was in Station Road, and questioned whether it was necessary to extend the site into the A228 and install the traffic lights.

“I’m starting to wonder if the A228 is the most dug up road in Kent,” she said. “So yet again Medway residents are wasting time and fuel queuing on the A228.

“The actual work is on Station Road Cuxton, but there is a four-way traffic light system on the 228.

“I live in Halling, so unfortunately there is no way of avoiding it. I can honestly say with hand on heart, I do not often see anyone working there.

“I travel at different times during the day. It’s so depressing.

“It becomes infuriating when I find out it’s Southern Water, the company that raised prices, dumped sewage in the sea, had a hosepipe ban in the wettest July on record and still could not provide all their customers with water.

“In fact, they are still not providing all their customers with water. I see on their website three postcodes have reduced pressure or no water at all.”

A Southern Water spokesman said: “We’re sorry our work to repair a burst water main at the corner of Station Road, Cuxton took longer than anticipated.

“Our teams experienced unforeseen difficulties during the excavation and this resulted in the repair taking longer than expected. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”