Motorists in a town plagued by road closures and temporary traffic lights say their “patience is being tested” following more gas works which are disrupting a busy route.

SGN has installed temporary two-way lights along the A2, just after the Key Street roundabout, in Sittingbourne.

The gas distribution company has been there since Thursday, May 2, while it carries out repair and maintenance works.

However, although people living nearby understand the importance of the work, they have become frustrated after seeing no SGN employees working on the site.

Antonio Amadori, who lives in Bobbing, says the roadworks are “creating massive disruption and delays” in the area.

The 55-year-old caseworker said: “It is shocking to see yet again a stupid pathetic hole in the road with no workers working on site.

“All week I have been driving through these alleged roadworks, to see only one person operating the temporary traffic lights, and on Friday (May 17) at 10am two others were sitting in a van reading newspapers!

“They waste everyone’s time and test our patience.”

SGN has been contacted for comment in regards to what the works are for and the perceived lack of work being carried out.

This is not the first time gas works have caused chaos in the Key Street area.

In January, the stretch of road by the Long Hop pub had a set of temporary lights installed by the Gas Transportation Company (GTC).

A month earlier, in December last year, SGN had to undertake urgent repairs due to a gas leak along the A2 at the same location and close part of the road fully for almost a month.

As a result Andria and Andy Matheou, who run the nearby Marino Fish Bar, said they saw their trade plummet.

Speaking about the recent closure, Antonio added: “During this round of gas works I have been driven through there a couple of times over the last week and I never see anyone working apart from the guy operating the traffic lights.

“I wouldn’t complain if there were at least people working on site but the Key Street roundabout gets completely jammed during rush hour.

“Why should people leave early to go to work when they are not doing any work themselves? It’s just not fair as it happens so often.”

The roadworks come at the same time as the National Highways’ M2 Junction 5 coast-bound slip closure is in place while work continues on the multi-million pound Stockbury flyover project.

This closure lasts until June 10 and at the same time as that part of Lower Rainham Road, by the Three Sisters pub in Rainham, will be closed for drainage works.

Although these closures are miles away from each other those living in Medway and Sittingbourne fear the two coinciding with each other will have a disastrous impact on local traffic due to motorists ignoring the official Blue Bell Hill diversion that will take them down to Detling Hill to join the A249 Sittingbourne and Sheppey-bound.

David Moyler, who lives in Playstool Road in Newington, just off the A2, is dreading the traffic carnage likely to be caused by the closures.

The 68-year-old said: “When the A2 is used by traffic from the M2, Newington becomes a bottleneck.

“The A249 improvements are good but I do think it will lead to traffic bottlenecking at Detling and with the M2 slip closed there will be so much congestion along the A2.”