Overnight closures on bridge system for next two weeks
Resurfacing work to send diversions around town
Overnight closures on the Maidstone bridge system are about to come into force, bringing further chaos to drivers trying to navigate the town centre.
The roadworks, which began in June, were initially scheduled to be completed in mid-November.
But two weeks of overnight closures will be in place from Sunday, running from 9pm to 6am.
The work is needed as contractors will be resurfacing four stretches of the gyratory and diversions will run around the town.
Closures will be in sections, including the Maidstone and Chatham-bound stretches of the A229 Fairmeadow between the Staceys Street roundabout and St Peter’s Bridge.
Bishops Way, between the Mill Street traffic lights and the bridges, will be shut and the right turn heading away from St Peter’s Bridge towards Mill Street will also be closed.
Last month, Kent County Council said sourcing the specialist granite needed for re-paving the walkways would see the overall project last until mid-January. It said the new lanes will be completed by the end of November.
A KCC spokesman said: “The surfacing contractor is starting on November 13 as always intended, but it will take two weeks of overnight closures to achieve all the surfacing and line replacement, rather than our anticipated week. All traffic management will be removed from the road by this time and the new lanes will be fully operational.”
Meanwhile, a Maidstone borough councillor is worried about drainage and flooding at the end of Tonbridge Road and the Broadway subway.
Cllr David Pickett (Lib Dem) said: “On Saturday, October 15, there was traffic chaos near the gyratory due to flooding on the approach to the traffic lights.
“The near-side lane was coned off, and the problem was still evident on the afternoon of Monday, October 17.” He has asked KCC if it could look into the issue as part of the bridge system work.
Russell Boorman, KCC’s project manager, said the Broadway subway needs improving and drainage needs assessing.
But KCC said the issue is still at an investigation stage, so any improvements would be carried out separately to the gyratory project. A timescale has not been set.