There are fears residents simply won't be able to leave their village soon, due to “nightmare” traffic caused by a seemingly endless raft of roadworks.

Bus drivers have already complained they are regularly late to drop children off at school, while binmen are having to start their rounds earlier and one business has even reported an employee leaving over the gridlock in Sittingbourne.

But that is all set to get worse to the north of the town, with more closures on the way.

Residents and businesses along the A249 corridor are having to endure queues caused by a revamp of the Grovehurst roundabout, which is shut to Sheppey-bound traffic until December, and the construction of a flyover of the A249.

The latest aspect of that, the five-month closure of a lane Maidstone-bound, at Stockbury, caused long tailbacks when it was introduced on Friday.

Then from next week, traffic travelling towards Maidstone from the M2 coastbound, or leaving Maidstone for the M2 London-bound, will be diverted up the A249 and back down again via Bobbing roundabout while a section of Stockbury roundabout is shut.

Add to that traffic lights on Ferry Road that have been in place for more than a year and residents in the village of Iwade feel completely trapped.

Rachel King, co-owner of Body Care hair and beauty salon in School Lane, says she expects to lose valuable appointment time due to customers being late due to traffic.

She said: “The works are going to be a pain and it is a nightmare getting home.

“My clients who live in Iwade won't be able to leave the village.”

The Medway resident added that she “wouldn't want to live in the village because of traffic”.

Another business owner, Mandy, who owns Mews Brewhouse along School Lane, said while the improvements will “eventually be a positive” the whole of Sittingbourne “is gridlocked”.

Iwade was already difficult to drive in and out of due to traffic lights on Ferry Road, according to Cllr Roger Clark (Con), who represents Bobbing, Iwade, and Lower Halstow.

He said the Southern Water road works, which have been in place for more than a year while the source of a leak is investigated, have been an “absolute nuisance” and a “real pain” for villagers.

He added: "It's only going to get worse when more people drive through the village due to the junction works. With more traffic coming through the village, including heavy vehicles, our air quality will also suffer."

It's not just Iwade residents affected by the congestion.

Amy Attwood, a company director at Novia Limited, said her employees were “imprisoned” on the Eurolink estate in Kemsley, thanks to the multiple road closures.

The 32-year-old claims one of her employees, who worked at the company for 19 years, recently quit as they couldn't face driving through the traffic.

She said: “These roadworks are having a massive impact on all of our staff's personal lives as they are going to have less time with their families.

“As a Minster resident myself it takes me an hour and 45 minutes to get home when it should take me around 20 minutes.”

Her comments were made at a public meeting attended by residents and businesses from across Swale at the Kemsley Community Centre on Wednesday (September 28).

Kent Highways was represented by Cllr Mike Dendor, alongside senior project manager Richard Du Preez of Jackson Civil Engineering, the contractors carrying out the Grovehurst roundabout works.

The pair fielded questions from more than 35 members of the public about work on the £32.7m revamp of the Grovehurst junction, which will see the current design replaced with a two-bridge flyover.

However, it is feared that when further road and lane closures take place the situation will only get worse.

Among those was managing director of Travelmasters, Tim Lambkin, whose school buses take students to and from the Isle of Sheppey and Sittingbourne.

He told KentOnline the roadworks impact the journeys of 1,600 schoolchildren a day.

Mr Lambkin, who lives on Sheppey, said: “Our main concern is getting school kids to their school and on time.

“Our concerns are it will have a major impact on our customers and our staff with the delays.

“We have already had an increased pressure on a day-to-day business which means kids are waiting for their businesses.

“It will impact the service we take pride in delivering and therefore not only the school kids we take to their destinations but their parents and teachers as well.”

He added: "With all the closures it's human nature to try and go the quickest route. That means Iwade is going to become a rat run.

"If there is an accident everything coming and going to the Island is going to come to a halt.

"It would be great if the developers and Kent County Council could consult businesses and residents who use the roads on a daily basis to find traffic flow solutions."

Julia Price, office manager for the bus company, said the business will be affected by increased fuel and staffing hour costs.

Mrs Price said: “We have already had schools complain to us on numerous occasions that our buses are late, due to the amount of traffic already coming from the Island into Sittingbourne.”

Meanwhile, Swale council has had to make its bin rounds earlier in Iwade in a bid to avoid the congestion.

They are now starting at 6am.

Cllr James Hunt (Con), for The Meads, says Bobbing and Newington may also get earlier rounds if problems persist.

For more on roadworks affecting journeys across Kent in the coming week, click here

Fears were also raised at the meeting that the benefit from the Grovehurst junction works would be cancelled out by the number of new homes set to be built in Kemsley and Iwade.

But Cllr Dendor insisted the junction would still be fit for purpose in 10 years' time and said he was “wholeheartedly” behind the scheme.

He said: “Never say never, but the junction will not be nullified in a decade's time.

“I am completely for the development which has to happen but I understand the concerns of residents and businesses but this has to take place now or we will lose our funding for the project.

“If people want one big solution to the traffic issues in Swale they should get behind the Southern and Northern Relief Roads.”

One resident of Wigeon Road in Iwade, Mike Smith, told KentOnline he agreed with that sentiment.

He said people should stop “whinging” as there is “nothing we can do about the traffic”.

The ex-royal mail worker added: “While the traffic is not ideal the works are going to improve things once it is all completed.”

Jackson Civil Engineering has been approached for comment.