A grandmother has described the chaos caused by roadworks to make way for a new Aldi – saying she now has to leave home more than half an hour early.
Work to remodel Canterbury Road in Ashford, on the former Houchin Social Club site near the M20, started just weeks ago and is expected to last eight months, with motorists already fearing long delays.
Lynne Butcher, 62, of South Willesborough, said: “It’s definitely a pain – I just think people don’t look at a map and know what the busiest roads are.
“Ashford is just getting ridiculous now as it’s gridlocked all the time.
“Kent, too, is supposed to be the Garden of England, but it feels like the doormat of England lately.
“It’s just getting a nightmare to travel from one side of town to the other, so it’s just stress we all don’t need.
“Does it make me change what time I come out? I would say so, yes.”
Describing the need to leave home more than 30 mins early for short journeys, she added: “I have grandchildren at Towers School and getting there quickly right now is all but impossible with the traffic near Matalan and in Kennington Road – plus Operation Brock happening too.”
Once finished, the scheme will deliver Ashford’s third Aldi, joining Victoria Road and a branch under construction at Waterbrook Park in Sevington.
A sticking point for drivers is a temporary ban on right turns from Cemetery Lane and Kinney’s Lane onto Canterbury Road, and vice versa.
This staggered stage of the project is predicted to bring “monumental chaos” for visitors to Longacres Garden Centre, The Harvester, and New Hayesbank doctor’s surgery, which serves more than 17,000 patients.
The restriction has forced some residents to take alternative routes, with one Kennington resident having to use Simone Weil Avenue and Sainsbury’s car park to access the garden centre.
Frequent visitor Peter Rich said: “The cafe is normally busy with a queue, but that wasn’t the case.
“The traffic lights on the road towards Sainsbury’s were a nightmare as people have been needing to use the roundabout at the bottom of the road (Little Burton) to turn around.”
Contractors have reduced Canterbury Road to a single lane heading towards the town centre, fencing off cycle lanes, bus lanes, and some pedestrian crossings, forcing residents to walk further to cross.
Aldi bosses say the current no-right-turn restrictions are expected to remain until the end of the week, with further restrictions planned over the next eight months.
Deputy manager at Longacres Garden Centre, Sophia Hubball, said: “We are naturally concerned that the difficulties drivers may experience because of the roadworks might disrupt trade in the short term.
“But we appreciate the need for improved traffic systems if we are to boost retail trade locally over time.
“Hopefully the works will be completed quickly and efficiently to ensure minimum disruption for us all.”
Among the improvements planned for the A28 are new traffic signals installed by the store and in Cemetery Lane.
A pelican crossing will also be created at the junction with Bybrook Road.
The Stagecoach 502 service remains unaffected with buses still able to use the route.
However, passengers are now unable to use the stop outside The Harvester to use the service.
