Highways England says it hopes it can reopen one lane of the Sheppey-bound A249 between Key Street and Bobbing later this week.

The dual carriageway has been shut from the junction with the A2 at Sittingbourne since Monday, January 11 after a water main burst and a sinkhole emerged.

Drivers have faced long delays, particularly at peak times, with tailbacks on the A249, A2 and M2 back towards Gillingham.

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A Highways England spokesman said it was hoped the outside lane would be reopened later this week.

"The outside lane on the northbound A249 will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so once temporary repairs to the void have been completed," he said.

"It is currently unsafe to reopen the slip road and inside lane. Surveys have not confirmed the stability of the ground underneath the road and the adjacent void in the ground is a potential risk to drivers."

VIDEO: Sinkhole appears on the A249. Josie Hannett reports

He added: "Work is now ongoing to fill the void with concrete. We anticipate that this work will be completed by tomorrow (Thursday).

"This will enable us to reopen one lane of the northbound carriageway."

Meanwhile, businesses in the area have been counting the cost of the closure.

Peter Holt, head of operations and transport for Alan Firmin Ltd, a haulage company with a depot at Kemsley Fields, said: "It's been horrendous. It adds 45 minutes at peak times to every journey, so if someone's doing two runs, you're losing an hour-and-a-half every day.

"It's costing us £25 extra per truck. They're not cheap to run, with wages and fuel."

And people living in roads being used as alternative routes by drivers trying to avoid the queues are becoming increasingly frustrated.

Jeremy Bolas, who has lived in Danaway, which is next to the A249, for 27 years, said: "It's unpleasant because of the amount of traffic and the weight of traffic, with lorries that should not be going though.

"There's a width limit at Chestnut Street which is supposed to stop them but it's not enforced.

"In the evenings, when the main A249 is blocked back to Stockbury roundabout, it comes up here. There was so much up here that for half an hour this road was stationary as well."