The Sheppey Crossing will be partially shut every weekend until mid-December due to maintenance work.

The first two-day closure, which started on Saturday, saw cars queuing on the Island-bound A249 as far back as Bobbing.

There were tailbacks towards Iwade as vehicles tried to beat the gridlock by turning-off at an earlier exit, and congestion was reported at the Grovehurst roundabout as motorists attempted to join the main Sheppey route.

The Island-bound carriageway of the crossing was closed between 8am and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday for work to improve the road surface.

It will shut at the same time for the next two weekends with the A249 coned-off between the Iwade turn-off and the Cowstead Corner roundabout.

Traffic is being diverted via Kingsferry Bridge. Work will begin on the crossing’s southbound carriageway on the weekends starting November 29 and December 6.

Highways Agency asset manager, Kevin Bown, said the closure times were chosen “as this is when traffic flow is at its lowest and this will enable us to complete the work more efficiently with as little disruption to road users as possible”.

Minster resident David Jones, who witnessed Saturday’s tailbacks, poured scorn on the authority’s decision. He said: “So much for the phrase “as little disruption as possible”.

“I think anyone who has ever been diverted off over Kingsferry Bridge knows that weekends are even busier on this stretch of the A249 than after peak times during week days. “The result? Total chaos.”

Another driver caught up in the jams posted a message via Facebook, which read: “Dartford bridge is bad enough - now the Sheppey Crossing.”

A Highways Agency spokesman reiterated the reasons for closing the crossing at the specific times, saying: “It’s being done at the weekend to minimise disruption compared to weekday traffic flows.”