A bridge is to shut for another 10 days as work continues to replace its degraded ropes.

From today (July 19) Kingsferry Bridge which connects the Isle of Sheppey with the mainland, will close to motorists, trains, pedestrians, cyclists and maritime traffic from 10pm.

Built by British Rail in 1960 the bridge is used by motorists and pedestrians to travel to the rest of the county and is the only route trains can use to get across The Swale.

The ropes were last replaced almost 30 years ago and are now coming to the end of their operational life.

During a weekend closure in June, Network Rail’s engineers completed the replacement of the counterweight ropes on the Sheppey side of the bridge.

These stabilise the bridge deck when it lifts for ships.

At the end of last month, the lifting ropes on the Sheppey side of the crossing were replaced during another week-long closure.

These works left large parts of Sittingbourne and Sheppey at a standstill.

Drivers found themselves travelling at a crawl, while a taxi firm saw its bookings plummet and a bus company suspended its services.

This was a result of the coinciding lane closure on the A249 heading towards Sheppey which has been put in place during the Grovehurst Road Improvement works, which are being led by Kent County Council (KCC).

During the closures school children were stuck on buses for hours. Pupils returning to Leysdown from Westlands in Sittingbourne on Monday, July 1 arrived home at 7.50pm, despite being picked up at 4.30pm, due to a crash on the A249.

The counterweight and lifting ropes on the mainland side of the bridge will be replaced during the remaining closures.

When work is taking place and the bridge is closed the last trains will depart the Island at about midnight on Fridays when it shuts.

First trains will run from approximately 5.43am on the day when the bridge reopens on Sunday, July 28.

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A Network Rail spokesman explained that the rope replacements couldn’t be done after nearby roadworks, such as the Grovehurst junction improvements, were complete.

He said: “While Network Rail’s regular testing of the ropes ensures bridge users are kept safe, if the rope’s condition worsens it could result in an unplanned closure and cause significant disruption to bridge users for an extended length of time until repairs can be made.

“To reduce the risk of a sudden closure and take advantage of favourable summer weather and tides, all 40 ropes will be replaced between June and July this year.

“By doing the work in summer the risk of Sheppey Crossing, the alternative route to the island, closing due to high winds is also significantly reduced.

“Staggering the repairs not only reduces the impact on local communities, allowing them to plan around the closures, but also on vital maritime traffic which contributes billions of pounds to the national economy.”