Work to revamp a major junction is due to complete in June 2026 – it was originally supposed to be finished in June 2024,
Kent County Council have announced delays on three separate occasions, with drivers having to put up with delays since the start of upgrades to the Grovehurst roundabout in September 2023.
Kent County Council (KCC) contracted Jackson Civil Engineering to turn the junction, off the A249 between Iwade and Kemsley, into a two-bridge system.
It was part of the authority’s £38.1 million project to increase road capacity in the Sittingbourne area ahead of major house building, as more than 4,600 homes are due to be built along the A249 from the junction with the M2 at Stockbury roundabout to the Sheppey Crossing.
The plan also included a revamp of the Key Street roundabout in Bobbing.
The expansion of Grovehurst roundabout has been bogged down in delays and was more than £280,000 over budget as of September.
The first delay was in May 2024, when “issues trapping reptiles” were among the reasons why it would not be completed on time.
The second delay was in April 2025, due to issues around the “construction complexity”, engineers would need until after the summer to conclude the works.
The third delay was in September, when “complications in the planning, poor weather conditions” at the start of the build, and work on the surrounding roads had caused problems.
Business bosses criticised KCC and Jackson for “not caring” about the impact of the works.
Two years on from when it was supposed to finish, the council says the project is finally drawing to a close.
A KCC spokesperson said “Works at Grovehurst roundabout are now in their final stages and we are on track to have the junction completed in June. However, as with any project of this scale, there may be some minor follow-up remedial works identified once everything has been fully reviewed.”
