CONFUSION continues for drivers affected by the 12-week closure of Broad Oak Road, Canterbury, for gas main replacement works.

Despite signs warning that the road is closed, at certain times of the day cars are still able to drive through the section between Kingsmead Road and Farleigh Road, dodging cones and barriers in the process.

Residents living close to the works have complained of a small workforce, short working days and no weekend work.

Businesses in the area are continuing to feel the impact of the closure and the problems were exacerbated last weekend with the continued Sunday closures of the St Stephen’s railway crossing for engineering works.

Richard Manuel, proprietor of St Stephen’s Newsagents, questioned the timing of the two projects.

“It was like a ghost town round here on Sunday, hardly anyone was driving by. How can KCC allow all of this time to work on the gas mains and continue to close a section of St Stephen’s Road at the same time?”

Traders on the Broad Oak Road Industrial Estate are now beginning to feel the impact on passing trade.

Stephen Handyside, sales manager at Dutton Forshaw Motors, feels the whole management of the project could be more efficient.

“The signage is very ambiguous. It doesn’t clearly indicate which sections of the road are closed and so we’re having to tell lots of customers over the phone that they can still come in and see us”.

Mr Handyside said 12 weeks of disruption at the beginning of a trade year, particularly with a new registration change coming up in March, was a considerable amount of time.

The gas main replacements are being carried out by contractor Morrisons on behalf of Southern Gas Networks and will see plastic polyethelene pipes, with an average life span of 85 years, replace the existing metal ones.