Motorists are facing a nightmare month of roadworks.

The pain began yesterday and continues this morning for drivers attempting to travel from villages south of Maidstone into town, and vice versa, with roadworks at the Wheatsheaf junction controlled by temporary lights.

There are already long queues along Loose Road from the Staplehurst direction, and on the A274 from Suttton Valence, and for motorists heading out of town on the A229.

The roadworks are for gas pipe maintenance and will run until Wednesday.

Motorists coming from Staplehurst will additionally find temporary traffic lights in Loose Road at its junction with Anglesey Avenue, tomorrow, Tuesday, for one day, for surface repairs.

Meanwhile, nearby Paynes Lane will be shut between Berwyn Grove and Boughton Lane on Thursday, July 6, for surface maintenance.

Then there will be disruption again at the Wheatsheaf junction overnight on Monday, July 10, with the right turn from Loose Road into Sutton Road closed between 7.30pm until 5am the next day.

The work is to repair a streetlight damaged in a traffic accident. The main routes from Maidstone to Loose and from Maidstone to Sutton Valence will remain open. The official diversion will take traffic all the way down Loose Road, Sheals Crescent, Hayle Road, College Road, Mill Street, Palace Avenue, Lower Stone Street, Upper Stone Street, and back up Loose Road!

There will also be temporary lights on the A229 Linton Road, just north of the Linton Crossroads, between July 15 and July 16 for surface repairs.

Additionally, South East Water will be working in Boughton Lane from July 23 to August 2, with temporary lights in operation.