A busy A-road that’s one of the most well-used routes in and out of a town has been closed yet again.
The A2 between the Key Street roundabout and Wises Lane, near the Long Hop pub in Sittingbourne, has been shut due to “emergency gas repairs”.
It comes after the gas distribution company, SGN, installed temporary two-way lights along the same stretch of the A2 last week.
There are no details on SGN’s website about the closure or what it is for and it is still being reported that temporary traffic lights are in place on one.network.
Those living in the area feel like they’re being “trapped” in the town especially as this isn’t the first time Key Street has been closed due to gas problems.
In January, the stretch of road by the Long Hop pub had a set of temporary lights installed by the Gas Transportation Company (GTC).
A month earlier, in December last year, SGN had to carry out urgent repairs due to a gas leak along the A2 at the same location and close part of the road fully for almost a month.
As a result Andria and Andy Matheou, who run the nearby Marino Fish Bar, said they saw their trade plummet.
After learning about the most recent closure on social media one person said: “It feels like they are trapping us in.”
Another said: “There's only one way out/in and that is heading towards Sittingbourne. God knows what Tuesday will bring.”
Someone else replied: “I think they are working on shutting Sittingbourne off from the rest of the county. If not, they are doing a good job already!”
It is understood that motorists cannot turn left out of Wises Lane towards Key Street roundabout, which has been dubbed as “mayhem roundabout” on Facebook, to get onto the A249.
Access is also only avaliable to residents from Key Street .
SGN and Kent County Council have been contacted for further information.
When last week’s temporary traffic lights were installed motorists in the area said their “patience was being tested”.
Antonio Amadori, who lives in Bobbing, said the roadworks were “creating massive disruption and delays” in the area.
The 55-year-old careworker said: “It is shocking to see yet again a stupid pathetic hole in the road with no workers working on site.
“All week I have been driving through these alleged roadworks, to see only one person operating the temporary traffic lights, and on Friday (May 17) at 10am two others were sitting in a van reading newspapers!”
SGN was also contacted about this but did not respond to KentOnline’s query.
