Delays continue on the A249 today as contractors work to repair a burst water main - which could take until Sunday to fix.

The busy route had to be closed Sheppey-bound between Sittingbourne and Bobbing at 8pm on Monday, and Southern Water says it could take a total of five days to repair the damage.

A diversion is in place taking traffic off the A249 at Key Street, which is then directed to the third exit to Sheppey Way and back onto the A249 at Bobbing.

The water company contacted schools on the island to warn them of the prolonged closure and advised that parents and staff need to leave more time for their journeys.

Debbie Jamieson, secretary at West Minster Primary School in Sheerness, said: "We were told to expect it to be closed for the rest of today and some of tomorrow."

A Southern Water spokesman said they were not able to provide a timescale for when the road would be reopened.

"We have to carry out a full safety assessment before it can reopen," she added. "We have contacted schools, hospitals and the emergency services to warn them of possible delays."

A drill has been brought in to dig bore holes to the main which was said to be 20 metres down.

"We have contacted schools, hospitals and the emergency services to warn them of possible delays" - Southern Water spokesman

Queues have been stretching back along the A2 to Newington, on the M2 towards Gillingham and on the A249 to Detling Hill.

Fed up lorry driver Paul Jones, 51, from Sheppey, was caught in the tailbacks yesterday.

He said: “Why did the whole road have to be closed? Why couldn’t they have just closed one lane so traffic could have continued to use the A249? It’s common sense.

“If there is a burst water main in London they don’t close the whole road – you just drive round it.”

The delivery man for Morrisons, who has been driving lorries for 20 years, added: “It’s ridiculous.”

A Highways England spokesman said police had requested the road be closed for safety reasons.

He added: "Water and mud is flowing down the road on both carriageways which makes the surface slippery and potentially dangerous which is also not helped by cold conditions at ground level which could lead to some patches of mud freezing and creating more of a hazard."