An historic bridge will have to be shut again after works were not completed on time.

The Kingsferry Bridge, which connects Sheppey with mainland Kent, has been the subject of a series of closures for urgent maintenance.

It has been shut throughout June and July by Network Rail - but it will now need to be closed for a further eight days.

Its engineers were replacing 40 steel ropes that were installed more than 30 years ago.

The works had been planned for 2026 but the ropes degraded quicker than expected so it was brought forward to this summer.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the works click here.

The closures caused traffic chaos in Sittingbourne and on Sheppey with drivers, school children and people using rail replacement busses sitting in traffic for hours heading to Sheppey.

A 10-day closure had been in place from Friday, July 19, and the bridge reopened yesterday at 10pm (Sunday, July 28).

When it was first shut it resulted in gridlock at Key Street on Monday, July 22.

However, today (July 29) Network Rail told KentOnline it still needs to replace the final 12 ropes and will need to shut the bridge again for a further eight days.

This will “most likely” take place during the October half-term, a spokesman said.

He added: “We’re really sorry that the work is going to take longer than originally planned, but as soon as we have agreed a date we will update everyone.

“This is due to unforeseen issues which we only discovered during the recent closures when all of the lifting equipment in the towers had been removed, because these inspections can’t be carried out when the bridge is operational.

“With a bridge as difficult to maintain as Kingsferry, the risk of running into challenges is high.

“We’ll continue to work with local stakeholders including Kent County Council and other road projects in the area to agree the least disruptive time to do the work.

“This will most likely be during the October half-term when schools will be closed, and people have more flexibility with their travel plans.

“We have to do the work before winter, or risk a more disruptive unplanned closure.”

Opened in the 1960s, it is used by motorists, pedestrians and rail passengers.

Most traffic now travels across its larger neighbour, the Sheppey Crossing, which opened in 2006, but about 20% of motorists still use the old bridge.