A rarely obeyed 40mph limit on the A2070 in Ashford will remain in place until junction 10a opens in 2019, transport chiefs say.

Highways England had lifted the restriction on Bad Munstereifel Road between the Orbital Park roundabout and junction 10, but recently reinstated it.

The limit will now stay in force until the long-awaited junction 10a opens to traffic in the autumn of 2019.

Highways England's Thomas Selby, project manager for the new junction, says police speed checks could be introduced if drivers continue to ignore the limit.

"We are on track with junction 10a and the 40mph limit will stayon the A2070," he said.

"We are now coming to the end of our site clearance for the new junction and we will next be introducing a temporary diversion on the A20.

"Junction 10 is close to capacity - we are hoping to unlock economic growth in the area with 10a."

Mr Selby, who has been working on the project for nine months, says highways bosses still plan to introduce traffic lights at the notorious Barrey Road junction, which leads to the Ashford Retail Park.

Highways England announced in December that it would pay for signals at the Barrey Road junction in Sevington, but then launched a road safety audit which looked into the plan.

The results of the audit will be known next month, and Mr Selby hopes the lights will be supported.

He said: "Land constraints and traffic modelling showed a roundabout didn't serve any real benefits at Barrey Road - the intention is to signalise the junction.

"As you approach junction 10 towards Barrey Road, the visibility is restricted over the brow so the idea of traffic lights should get people in and out of the junction safely.

"Hopefully the road safety audit will give the signals the green light and we will go from there.

"You never know, they might say a roundabout is better, but we would have to think about that and might even go against the recommendation if that is the case."

Junction 10a will open to traffic in autumn 2019, but will only be fully complete in the summer of 2020.

Mr Selby says the former Wyevale garden centre is due to be fully demolished in June or July this year.