TEMPORARY lights controlling traffic at the site of gas main works on the A26 at Teston, near Maidstone, have been adjusted to try to ease congestion in the area.

Noel Mitchell was among hundreds of motorists who have delayed by the contraflow system introduced after Transco began replacing an old iron gas main near The Street last week.

Mr Mitchell says it took him an hour to travel from Mereworth to the centre of Wateringbury on his journey home to Boughton Monchelsea from Kings Hill. He said: "That part of the journey normal only takes about two minutes."

Mr Mitchell said the problem was particularly frustrating for drivers as the same stretch of road was closed for six weeks for resurfacing in September and October.

"I just can't understand why they didn't do this latest work at the same time as the resurfacing of the road on the Mereworth side of Wateringbury," he said. "Gas main work like this obviously needs to be done but why not do it all in one go and prevent traffic being disrupted twice?"

Transco said the gas main repairs were part of a planned programme agreed in consultation with Kent County Council and Maidstone Borough Council. A spokesman said the company had discussed the possibility of doing the current work at the same time as the resurfacing work but it was decided it would be too disruptive.

The contraflow traffic light system, controlled manually at peak times, had caused some traffic problems but revised timings have now been introduced to help traffic flows, added the Transco spokesman.