A revised timetable has been issued following delays in work on a new bridge over a busy A-road.

Slip roads were set to shut on the A249 last Wednesday ahead of a £32.7 million scheme to revamp the Grovehurst Road roundabout near Sittingbourne.

However, that has been pushed back, with Kent County Council (KCC) issuing a new schedule of works.

The project is set to unlock plans for new homes planned for the A249 corridor from the junction with the M2 to the Isle of Sheppey.

A KCC statement said: "The improvements include altering the slip and approach roads to the junction, service diversions, changing traffic signals, lighting, and major earthwork operations.

"This will increase capacity on the road network and provide the infrastructure needed for the proposed housing plans in Swale."

KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Neil Baker, said: “The A249 Grovehurst Road Improvement Scheme will see a new bridge built over the dual carriageway below, helping to reduce congestion and make journey times more reliable.

“These road improvements, paid for through the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund and developer contributions, will unlock extra capacity on the area’s roads, delivering on our ambition to put infrastructure in place first before planned housing.”

Preparation work began in July and the scheme is due to be completed by December 2024.

The planned road closures have been updated as follows...

Wednesday, September 13 – September 25 (from 9am to 4pm):

Traffic on the Maidstone-bound Swale Way will go down to a single lane running under three-way traffic signals.

Wednesday, September 20 – Thursday, September 21 (from 8pm to 6am):

There will be a full Maidstone-bound closure of the A249 between the exit and entry slip roads at the A249 Grovehurst Road junction to enable contractor to set up safe working zones. Traffic will be diverted up and over the A249 via the existing Maidstone-bound Grovehurst Road roundabout.

Thursday, September 21

From 6am on September 21, traffic will be reduced to a single lane between the Cowstead Corner roundabout on Sheppey and the A249 at the Grovehurst Road junction, Maidstone-bound. The single lane traffic restriction will remain in place for approximately 12 months.

The same day, from 8pm to 6am on Friday, September 22, there will be a full Sheppey-bound closure of the A249, between the exit and entry slip roads of the A249 Grovehurst Road junction.

Traffic will be diverted up and over the A249 via the existing Sheppey-bound Grovehurst Road roundabout.

Then, from 6am on Friday, September 22 traffic will be reduced to a single lane between the A249 at the Bobbing junction and the Grovehurst Road junction, Sheppey-bound. The single-lane traffic restriction will remain in place for approximately 12 months.

Friday, September 22:

The exit and entry slip roads for the Grovehurst Road junction Sheppey-bound, will be closed for approximately four months.

This means traffic which would normally exit the A249 at the Grovehurst Road junction will follow the A249 to the Kingsferry Road junction and return on the A249 Maidstone-bound, and then exit at the existing Grovehurst Road junction.

Both roundabouts will still be in use at this time.

Similarly, traffic that would normally head for Sheppey from Sittingbourne will be diverted along the Maidstone-bound A249, towards Stockbury, exiting at the Bobbing junction and then returning along the A249 towards Sheppey.