Three routes are set to close as work on a multi-million-pound improvement scheme continues.

They will shut from tomorrow (Monday) as part of £32.7 upgrades to the Grovehurst Roundabout between Iwade and Kemsley, near Sittingbourne which are set to finish in May.

The first closure will be on the A249 Sheppey-bound exit slip road from 5am tomorrow until January 18.

A diversion will be in place via Ridham junction, and back onto the Maidstone-bound A249 mainline.

Traffic going to Iwade will have to use Sheppey Way, while traffic going to Kemsley will be directed on to the A249 Maidstone-bound exit slip road.

A full closure will also be in place in Grovehurst Road, Sheppey-bound, towards Iwade village, but only for one night.

It will shut tomorrow and reopen at 6am on January 7.

The extent of this closure will be from Cormorant Road to the northern gyratory.

Traffic going to Iwade from Kemsley will need to use the Sheppey-bound entry slip road to travel to Ridham junction to use Sheppey Way.

The Maidstone-bound entry slip road on the A249 will also close until January 18.

A diversion will take drivers onto the Sheppey-bound entry slip to travel to Ridham junction to return onto the Maidstone-bound A249 mainline.

Kent County Council’s contractors Jackson Civil Engineering started working on the scheme in September 2023.

A spokesperson from the firm said: “Please be advised that we have installed clearly marked signages for diversions indicating Sheppey Way through Iwade is not suitable for HGVs and our traffic management team will be monitoring the traffic situation closely.

“We have also opened the A249 Maidstone-bound exit slip road, and this will be a single lane for the next four weeks.”

Since work began 16 months ago, the scheme to replace the existing dumbbell junction with a two-bridge flyover has been blighted by delays.

It was supposed to be finished this winter but it is now expected to be completed in the spring.

It is part of a wider KCC scheme to future-proof the road network in the A249 corridor ahead of major housebuilding in the area.

This includes a £5.8 million revamp of the Key Street roundabout in Bobbing which will begin this month after delays as a result of a dormouse nest being discovered.

In December, previous lane closures on both sides of the A249 were lifted in time for Christmas.

Two overnight closures were put in place so cones and barriers from the carriageways could be moved.