Motorists have been urged to avoid driving into a city "at all costs” after it was revealed a busy rat-run will remain shut for at least one more month.

Major routes in and out of Canterbury have been gridlocked since Shalloak Road in Broad Oak was sealed off on March 8 for emergency work to repair a burst water main.

Exasperated motorists have told how morning commutes into Canterbury are taking up to an hour-and-a-half from as nearby as Herne Bay.

Signs in the area warn drivers to expect disruption to last until Thursday, March 28, but the Gazette can reveal the closure will remain in place after Easter.

Don Knight, from South East Water, whose contractors are working on the site, says the company believes it will have to extend its permit for the repairs beyond next week.

He said: “The work in Shalloak Road is very complicated because it was a very big burst and the water washed away the embankment, undermining the road.

“While the damage might not look significant from above, we need to know what the condition is like underneath and ensure the repair is carried out properly.

“For this reason there is a lot of preliminary work we have to do including environmental work to protect the trees and wildlife, as well as geological surveys and finding out where other utilities are in the road.

"We are working closely with Kent Highways on the timescale and we do anticipate we will have to extend the road closure permit beyond its current date of March 28.

“At the present time we do not expect to have the repairs completed before mid-April at the very earliest, but we are working as quickly as we possibly can.

“For the safety of the public and our workforce, the road needs to be closed to traffic while we do this.”

Ivor Herdson, who lives at Broad Oak Lodge, is incandescent with the news. He believes South East Water has not dealt with the burst water main with enough urgency.

“There were no workmen there for the whole day on Tuesday and there was nobody there between when the road was first closed and last Thursday,” the 66-year-old said.

“It doesn’t look like it’s being treated as a priority. I appreciate the road’s pretty much been washed away, but extending the closure into April seems ridiculous. The whole of Canterbury is affected because that road is shut.”

Sturry Hill has been one of the routes worst-affected by the closure, with morning traffic into the city regularly brought to a standstill for extended periods of time.

Simon Knibbs, says the gridlock through the village has added an hour to his daily commutes between Canterbury and Herne Bay.

Terry Hudson, from the Alliance of British Drivers, warns many motorists “will have to grin and bear” the continued disruption.

“Avoid Canterbury at all costs,” he added. “If you want to go shopping, go elsewhere.

“The closure is going to affect people pretty badly.

“They will have to try to find some alternative routes and try their best to try to avoid it for as long as South East Water cracks on with the work and does it as best as it can.”

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