A £1million resurfacing scheme on a major route linking Maidstone and Medway has been hailed a success despite causing congestion elsewhere.

The entire uphill carriageway of the A229 Blue Bell Hill was closed from Friday night from the M20 to the M2, re-opening in time for the Monday morning rush hour.

It was one of the most ambitious projects carried out by Kent Highways Services and it appears to be a hit even with people who experienced gridlock while the road was closed.

More than 200 workmen, who were paid overtime, worked in staggered shifts throughout the weekend to replace the 20-year-old road surface. Heavy rain on Saturday night forced them to stop but KCC says the project was still completed four hours early.

So far KCC has saved £80,000 by doing the work in one go.

KCC’s lead member for highways, Roger Manning, said: “Those savings have come from not having to do the work piecemeal, such as coning off lanes and barrier closures.

“We have yet to completely weigh up all the positives and negatives of this, but if it is deemed successful it has the potential to be rolled out elsewhere.

“It has avoided weeks of disruptive works and allowed us to move more trucks of materials at a time. But like most things it won’t be completely without pain.”

Motorists also seemed to agree. An online poll run by the KM’s website, Kentonline, showed 88 per cent of respondents - 84 people in total - approved of the intensive approach.

Ann Spain, who lives in Boxley Road, said there was noticeably more traffic using the route through Boxley village into Medway.

She added: “The weekend traffic was as bad as a week day. But ultimately it caused less frustration so I am in favour of the closure.”