An A249 slip road which has been closed for several weeks has been reopened – but more closures loom.

Kent County Council’s (KCC) closure of the Sheppey-bound slip road towards the Grovehurst roundabout is over, but National Highways has confirmed it will be shutting another part of the dual carriage for work on the Stockbury flyover project.

It comes after the busy road was reduced to one lane with a 50mph speed limit today as part of the revamp of the Grovehurst Road junction between Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

Previously, a KCC spokesman said: “Work needs to begin on the southbound side of the A249, heading towards Stockbury.

“This includes installing a piling rig, which will be used to lay foundations for the new bridge. To complete this safely, a temporary lane closure needs to be put in place.”

In autumn the A249 was reduced to one lane southbound towards Stockbury, between the Cowstead Corner roundabout on Sheppey and the Grovehurst Road junction in Sittingbourne.

The work started on Friday, October 13, and lasted for several weeks – causing several headaches for both commuters and residents.

It led to hundreds of pupils arriving late to school after they sat on buses for more than an hour-and-a-half, and was eventually removed.

The £32.7m revamp was given the green light by county councillors in March 2022.

The scheme is using the existing bridge but will replace the dumbbell design with a new one-way gyratory incorporating a second bridge.

KCC rephased the work to begin this month.

On top of this work is the ongoing improvements to junction 5 along the M2 and new Stockbury flyover by National Highways.

The £92 million project will allow traffic to flow without restrictions over the Stockbury roundabout, reducing delays and improving safety.

A spokesman for the agency said: “We’ll soon be starting preparation work along-side the A249 to the south of the Stockbury roundabout for the new link road from South Green Lane to the roundabout. This includes clearing and cutting back vegetation.”

To undertake this work, the A249 Maidstone-bound between the Stockbury roundabout and South Green Lane will be closed on Wednesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 18, from 10.30pm to 5am.

During the closure, a diversion will be in place via the M2, A229, M20 and A249. For non-motorway traffic please use A249, A2, A229, and A249.