Lengthy A229 disruption to be carried out at night

Parts of the A229 at Blue Bell Hill will be closed over 12 weeks for survey works

Disruption on a stretch of the A229 in Kent that is expected to last 12 weeks will be carried out mainly at night, as works are ahead of schedule, the county council has said.

Lane closures began on 16 September to allow surveying works to be carried out before improvements to the road near Blue Bell Hill in Chatham.

Kent County Council (KCC) said it has been able to complete the most disruptive phase, requiring day and night traffic management, in two weeks instead of three.

The council added: "The remainder of the programme will now be carried out mainly at night, with weekend working where longer periods are needed, to minimise further disruption."

Currently there are full road closures at night on the Maidstone-bound slip road to Rochester Road/Lower Bell.

There will also be lane closures between 21:00 BST and 05:00 on the Taddington and Lord Lees roundabouts, as well as on the A2045 Walderslade Woods.

KCC said: "We're sorry for the disruption caused by the survey works on Blue Bell Hill.

"These investigations are essential to prepare for a major upgrade to the A229 - a route that is critical to thousands of daily journeys, and which residents have rightly demanded."

The wider scheme, which is estimated to cost £250m, aims to improve the A229 between the M2 and the M20 to reduce congestion, improve journey time reliability, and enhance road safety.

Construction is due to begin in 2029 and be completed by 2031.